The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Hosts FIU Saturday In Final Regular Season Contest
3/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
UAB (16-12, 10-7 C-USA) vs. FIU (3-25, 0-17 C-USA)
Saturday, March 7, 2015 at 2 p.m. CT
Birmingham, Ala. - Bartow Arena
Coverage: Live Stats | Listen Free | Watch
UAB Notes
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Having won six-straight games at home, the UAB women's basketball looks to continue its success at Bartow Arena as it hosts FIU Saturday in the final game of the regular season. The Blazers and Panthers will tip at 2 p.m. CT.
Saturday's game has been designated as Senior Day and Alumni Day. UAB's two seniors, Miranda Burroughs and Janae Smith, will be recognized prior to tip off and all alumni in attendance will be honored at halftime.
Fans can listen to the game free on UABsports.com with Holly Holland-Berry (play-by-play) and Katie Broadway (color) on the call.
For the latest news on Blazer sports, follow the UAB Athletics Twitter account: @UABathletics. For women's basketball news, follow @UAB_WBB.
Blazer Bits
- UAB and FIU are meeting for the seventh time in the series and second time this season. The Blazers have won four of the previous six meetings, including a 68-45 win in Miami earlier this season. The teams are tied 1-1 in games played at Bartow Arena.
- This season UAB has been successful at home with a 10-3 record in games played at Bartow Arena. The Blazers currently have a six-game win streak heading into its final regular season game at home against the Panthers on Saturday.
- The Blazers have been one of the top 3-point shooting teams among the league this season. They are currently second in C-USA with a .356 three-point field goal percentage. UAB is also third with 6.3 three-point field goals per game.
- Prior to Saturday's tipoff UAB will honor its two seniors, Miranda Burroughs and Janae Smith. The duo has been a large part of the Blazers' success this season as both have started in all 28 games. Burroughs leads UAB and C-USA with a .426 3-point field goal percentage while Smith is averaging a team-best 17.9 points per game to rank fourth in C-USA.
- UAB is currently in a tie for fifth place with UTSA in the C-USA standings. With Old Dominion's win on Thursday, UAB is playing for a fifth or sixth seed in the tournament. The Blazers can secure the five seed with a win over FIU along with a UTSA loss or Old Dominion win, and the six seed with a UTSA win and Old Dominion loss.
Notes
Series
Saturday's contest will be the seventh all-time meeting and second this season for UAB and FIU. The Blazers have a 4-2 advantage, including a 68-45 win earlier this season in Miami. The two teams are tied 1-1 in games played inside Bartow Arena. FIU won the most recent meeting in Birmingham last season, 63-53.
Scouting the Panthers
FIU (3-25, 0-17 C-USA) most recently fell to Middle Tennessee, 79-30, on Thursday night. The Panthers are already eliminated from the Conference USA tournament heading into the final game of the regular season. Three players are averaging double figure scoring with freshman Kiandre'a Pound leading with 14.9 points per game. Pound has been named C-USA Freshman of the Week five times this season. Marita Davydova is adding 11.6 points per game and a team-best 9.8 rebounds per game.
Last Time Out
UAB edged visiting Florida Atlantic, 59-56, to earn the Blazers' sixth-straight win in Bartow Arena. The teams were evenly matched as neither side built more than a seven-point lead and both squads finished 40.4 percent shooting from the field. Senior forward Janae Smith led the team with 18 points, just missing a double-double with nine boards, while junior guard Chelsee Black added 15 points for UAB.
Senior Day
Seniors Miranda Burroughs and Janae Smith will be honored prior to tip on Saturday for Senior Day. Burroughs, who has played the last two seasons with the Blazers, has solidified herself as one of the top 3-point shooters in school history. She has accumulated 114 threes and her .404 career 3-point percentage is currently a school best. Smith, who joined the lineup this season, has quickly made an impact for UAB. The Matteson, Ill. native has scored over 20 points in 10 contests and finished in double figures in 22 of 28 games.
Big On The Board
UAB has out rebounded its opponents in each of the last six games. During that span the Blazers are 4-2 and averaging 40.3 boards per game while holding opponents to just 33.2 rebounds per game. Winning the battle on the boards has been a big part of UAB's success this season as the Blazers are 14-4 on the season when recording more rebounds than their opponent. UAB leads the league in rebounding defense during C-USA play, allowing opponents just 34.6 rebounds per game.
Home Court Advantage
After a win over Florida Atlantic on Thursday night, UAB has now won its last six games inside Bartow Arena. The Blazers have played well at home all season with a10-3 record on their own court after opening the season 4-0. UAB will have a chance to extend the streak to seven-straight against FIU on Saturday before hosting the first two rounds of the C-USA Tournament in Bartow Arena.
