The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Welcomes UTEP for Saturday Showdown
1/8/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
UTEP (10-6, 2-1) vs. UAB (12-3, 2-0)
1:00 p.m. CST | Birmingham, Ala. | Bartow Arena
Live Stats | Live Audio | Game Notes
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB men's basketball team puts the finishing touches on a five-game homestand Saturday at 1 p.m. when the Blazers welcome UTEP to Bartow Arena.
The game will be televised live on CBS Sports Network with Dwayne Ballen and Chris Walker on the call. Blazer fans can also catch all the action by listening live to David Crane, "The Voice of the Blazers," and former UAB basketball great Steve Mitchell on the flagship station for UAB men's basketball, WZRR-FM 99.5 Nash Icon.
The UAB School of Nursing and ROTC will host a Salute to Service Day on Saturday with all first responders and current and former military members with a valid ID receiving a discounted ticket rate of $7.
UAB (12-3, 2-0) won its ninth consecutive game following a 104-82 victory Thursday over UTSA. The win was also the 18th straight victory at Bartow Arena, one shy of tying the school record set from 2005-07.
Dirk Williams led five Blazers in double figures with 17 points to go along with six rebounds. Junior guard Denzell Watts was a perfect 6-for-6 from the field and finished with 15 points, while senior Robert Brown added 15 points and hit three 3-pointers.
Nick Norton dolled out a game-high nine assists to help UAB finish with 31 for the third-highest output in school history. The Blazers enter the weekend fifth in the NCAA with 19.7 helpers per game, while Norton is third in the nation with a 5.6 assist/turnover ratio.
Sophomore post William Lee scored 13 points and swatted two more shots as the Blazers tallied nine rejections. As a team, UAB averages 6.5 blocked shots per game and ranks fifth in the nation.
UTEP (10-6, 2-1) saw its three-game winning streak end Thursday when the Miners dropped a 78-72 decision at Middle Tennessee. The loss dropped UTEP to 0-3 on the road with additional setbacks at New Mexico State (Dec. 2) and Washington State (Dec. 13).
Junior guard Lee Moore leads UTEP 14.4 points per game to go along with 5.4 rebounds per game. Freshman forward Terry Winn paces the Miners with 6.5 rebounds per game and is one of six players who score in double figures.
UAB and UTEP have both won eight games in the all-time series that began during the 1987-88 season. The Miners have won two in a row after posting a 71-69 victory last season at the Haskins Center. In fact, the last six meetings between UAB and UTEP have all been decided by six points or less.
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 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).
