The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Belmont
Blazers Fall to Bruins in Home Opener
11/19/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Belmont 72, UAB 58 Final Box (PDF)
Records: UAB (1-2, 0-0 C-USA), Belmont (2-2, 0-0 OVC)
Location: Birmingham, Ala. at Bartow Arena (8,500)
Series Record: The series is tied, 2-2, but UAB leads 2-1 in Birmingham
UAB HIGHLIGHTS
- Sophomore Deanna Kuzmanic made her 34th consecutive start, the longest active streak on the team
- Redshirt freshman Bailee Wolfe made her UAB debut, the sixth freshman to make their debut this season for UAB
- Freshman Miyah Barnes netted a career-best 20 points. She extended her double figure scoring streak to three games, the longest active on the team
- Freshman Imani Johnson's tallied a career-best nine rebounds
- Junior forward Keonna Farmer had four steals, a career-high
- Redshirt freshman Bailee Wolfe scored her first career points at the 2:01 mark of the first quarter
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Bruins jumped out to an early 17-2 lead, thanks to 15-0 run in the opening minutes of the first. The slow start for UAB resulted in a 26-10 lead for Belmont after the opening 10 minutes.
- In the second quarter, Belmont dominated the paint with 12 of its 23 points coming from down low. The Blazers shot 2-of-3 from 3-point range on their way to 15 points.
- At the midway point, UAB trailed 49-25, with 18 of its points coming from the bench. The Bruins had a pair of players in double figures with 10 apiece, while the Blazers were led by Miyah Barnes' nine points.
- The following two quarters were a different story. The Blazers defense was stifling as it came out in the third quarter and outscored the Bruins 15-7. UAB held Belmont to 13.3 percent (2-of-15) from the floor.
- In the fourth, UAB outmatched Belmont, 18-16, however, the Bruins' 9-of-11 showing from the charity stripe kept the Blazers at bay, 72-58.
BREAKING DOWN THE BOX SCORE
- UAB outscored Belmont 33-21 in the second half.
- The Blazers dished out 11 assists to just nine turnovers.
- The UAB bench produced 40 of UAB's 58 points, including Miyah Barnes' game-high 20 points.
- Freshman Miyah Barnes shot 50 percent (9-of-18) from the floor on her way to a career and game-best 20 points
- After the Bruins opened the first half shooting 54.3 percent (19-of-35) UAB held them to a mere five field goals in the second (5-of-28, 17.9 percent)
- The Blazers forced 14 Bruins mishaps, while only committing nine turnovers
- Belmont scored 32 points in the paint, but the Blazers held the Bruins to just eight points from the post in the second half.
- Belmont had four players in double figures against UAB, the second team to do so this season
QUOTABLE
Randy Norton on getting behind early...
I wish we could've played the first half and played like the team I know we have. I thought that the second half, we competed, we defended. But, the first half, We spotted them a 20 point lead, then we had to try to dig out and Belmont has a really good team.
Randy Norton on Belmont...
Obviously, they're picked to win their league they're an NCAA team and from last year, they've got all five starters back so they've definitely got the experience. This early in the season, what I told our team is we have to learn from these types of games.
Randy Norton on his team....
As many young kids as we have, what we have to understand is that every night in college when you line up against your opponent, you're playing against kids that are as good as or better than you every night out. You have got to be ready to compete and I just don't feel like coming out of the gates, they thought they were cause this team really wants it. They want to win and they want to win championships, but sometimes, you have to go through hard times like this. There is no doubt that our team is going to get better and we'll learn from this game.
On Miyah Barnes 20-point game...
Miyah Barnes is going to be a very special player for UAB. I told her if she'll work hard, stick to it, and be coachable, I think she'll be one of the best if not the best point guards to ever come through UAB. She's a special player and I thought she had a great game for us.
TEAM NOTES
- UAB drops to 1-2 in the 2016-17 season, and 2-2 against Belmont all time.
- Head coach Randy Norton is 3-1 in home openers
- UAB's 10 points scored in the first quarter is the lowest this season, and the lowest since the Blazers scored seven in a 72-61 loss at FIU on Feb. 4, 2016.
- UAB gave up 49 points in the first half. The most given up by the Blazers in the first half this season.
- UAB is 0-2 this season against teams that made the 2016 NCAA Tournament
- UAB had only player score in double figures for the first time this season
- UAB is 0-2 when shooting a higher 3-point field goal percentage than its opponents
