The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Takes Winning Streak to Louisiana Tech
2/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
UAB (21-4, 11-1) vs. Louisiana Tech (18-6, 7-4)
1:00 p.m. CST | Ruston, La. | Thomas Assembly Center
Live Stats | Live Audio | FSN Clearance Report | Game Notes
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB men's basketball team continues a three-game road trip Saturday at 1 p.m. when the Blazers travel to Ruston, La., to face Louisiana Tech from the Thomas Assembly Center.
The game will be televised live on FSN with Pete Pranica and Mike Jarvis on the call. Blazer fans can also catch all the action by listening live to David Crane, "The Voice of the Blazers," on the flagship station for UAB men's basketball, WZRR-FM 99.5 Nash Icon.
UAB (21-4, 11-1) won its first double overtime game since 2006 on Thursday when the Blazers held off Southern Miss for an 80-77 victory. Chris Cokley scored 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead four Blazers in double figures. Cokley enters play Saturday leading UAB in scoring (13.8 ppg) and rebounds (6.6 rpg).
William Lee added 15 points, four rebounds and four blocked shots against the Golden Eagles. Lee has 12 blocked shots over his last two games and ranks second in the NCAA with 3.3 rejections per game. As a team, UAB is second in the nation with 6.6 blocks per game.
Nick Norton tallied 14 points and four assists to help the Blazers finish with at least 20 helpers for the ninth time this season. UAB ranks fourth in the NCAA with 19.0 assists per game and 19th in the country with a 1.48 assist/turnover ratio.
Louisiana Tech (18-6, 7-4) has won five of its last six games after posting a 73-63 victory over Middle Tennessee on Thursday. The Bulldogs are in fourth place in the conference standings and own a 13-1 home record this season.
Senior guard Alex Hamilton leads Louisiana Tech with 18.2 points and 6.0 assists per game. Junior Erik McGree paces the Bulldogs with 7.6 rebounds per game and is second on the team with 15.8 points per game.
UAB and Louisiana Tech meet on the hardwood for the ninth time when the two schools matchup on Saturday. The Blazers own a 6-2 lead in the all-time series that dates back to the 1988-89 season. UAB has won two in a row in the series, including a 72-62 overtime victory last season in the Conference USA Tournament semifinals. In addition, UAB has beaten Louisiana Tech by double digits in all six of its wins over the Bulldogs and owns an average margin of victory of 15.0 points per game.
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.
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).
