The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Coast to Win Over Hiwassee
12/22/2015 12:00:00โฏAM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 22, 2015
Box Score (PDF) | Postgame Quotes
By Steve Irvine, UABSports.com
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB men's basketball team set a school record for margin of victory and just missed several other records in a 116-43 victory over Hiwassee College on Tuesday night at Bartow Arena.
The 73-point margin of victory easily outdistanced the previous school record of 57 points set during a 112-55 victory over Roosevelt on Dec. 11, 1980. The Blazers came up two points short of tying the school mark for most points in a game and one blocked shot shy of matching the record of 16 set in 1983.
All eleven UAB players in uniform scored with seven reaching double figures. Robert Brown made five consecutive 3-pointers, finally missing from outside the arc on his final attempt, on his way to a team-best 20 points. UAB (9-3) had 27 assists, which was the fourth consecutive game over 20 and second most this season. The Blazers also featured a stingy defense that limited the Tigers to 17.9 percent shooting from the field.
Overall, it was a dominating evening for a UAB team that won for the sixth consecutive time and extended its Bartow Arena winning streak to 15 games.
"I thought we started out playing fundamentally sound defensive basketball," said UAB head coach Jerod Haase. "A little bit of human nature crept in and we were not quite as fundamentally sound in the second half. They were able to get a lot of offensive rebounds, which is a point of emphasis for us and we'll address after the holiday break. But I did like the idea that we're sharing the basketball."
Haase used the example of Tyler Madison passing up an easy fast break layup to get the ball to Thomas Smallwood for a dunk late in the second half.
"That's the culture around the team right now," Haase said. "They care about each other, they're trying to help each other."
The Blazers jumped on Hiwassee (4-11) quickly, scoring the first 11 points and claiming a 31-3 lead before the midway point of the first half. Brown had a big hand in that, hitting three of his 3-pointers in the first five minutes. It was the start to another hot shooting night for Brown, who is 17-of-29 on 3-point shots over the past four games.
"I think I'm still getting there," Brown said of his shooting with Conference USA play quickly approaching. "I don't think anyone is ever exactly where they want to be, but I'm shooting the ball better."
He had plenty of hot shooting company on Tuesday night. The Blazers shot 75.8 percent from the field in the first half and 63.4 percent for the game. Chris Cokley (15 points), Tyler Madison (13 points), Lewis Sullivan (12 points), Tosin Mehinti (11 points), William Lee (10 points) and Hakeem Baxter (10 points) all joined Brown in double figures. Dirk Williams and Smallwood each added 9 points.
The Blazers also out-rebounded Hiwassee, 59-37, despite giving up 22 offensive rebounds to the Tigers. Sullivan had a team-best nine rebounds and Cokley added eight boards. Mehinti had five of the team's 15 blocked shots while Lee added four blocks. Overall, six Blazers had at least one blocked shot.
The Conference USA Men's and Women's Basketball Championships are set to return to Birmingham for the second consecutive year, marking the third time the Blazers will host the event. The men's tournament, as well as the women's semifinals and championship, will be played at Legacy Arena in downtown Birmingham, while the women's first round and quarterfinal action will take place at UAB's Bartow Arena.
UAB ticket mini plans are now on sale and in high demand. The Holiday 3-Pointer includes games against Hiwassee College (Dec. 22), 2015 NCAA Tournament participant Stephen F. Austin (Dec. 29) and the Blazers' Conference USA home opener against Middle Tennessee (Jan 3). Lower level seats can be purchased for $36 ($60 value), or $24 in the upper level ($45 value). The Conference USA Season Pass is available for $119 in the lower level, (a savings of over $60) and only $79 in the upper level, ($56 off the regular price).
For more information on UAB men's basketball, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_MBB), on Instagram (@blazerhoops) or on Facebook (Facebook.com/UABMensBasketball). For more on all Blazer sports teams follow the official social media accounts of UAB Athletics on Twitter (@UABAthletics), on Facebook (Facebook.com/UAB.Blazers), on Instagram (@uabathletics) or on Snapchat (@uabathletics).
