The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
-225, 122 CUSA
Middle Tennessee
-188, 104 CUSA
Blazers Use Hot Shooting to Down Middle Tennessee
2/21/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Box Score (PDF)
By Steve Irvine, UABSports.com
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee men's basketball head coach Kermit Davis skipped the excuses after UAB came into the Murphy Center and maintained sole possession of first place in Conference USA with a convincing 77-67 victory over the Blue Raiders on Sunday.
"You've just got to give UAB credit," Davis said. "They played at a really, really high level today. They're a really good team, a good college basketball team. They played like a Top 20, Top 25 team today. That team right there could beat about any team in the SEC today, no question about that."
Charting what went right in the victory was not very difficult because it occurred in nearly every area.
The Dirk Williams-led offense hit 69.6 percent of the shots from the field in the second half and 61.4 percent overall. The Blazers attacked the basket -- getting to the free throw line 22 times -- and controlled the turnovers in the second half.
On the other end, Robert Brown harassed Middle Tennessee leader Reggie Upshaw into a subpar night, and a host of UAB defenders, primarily Hakeem Baxter, kept sharpshooter Giddy Potts from having a big impact.
Put both ends together, and UAB (22-5 overall, 12-2 C-USA) was able to tie a school record for most C-USA wins in a season with four conference games left to play. The Blazers also moved two games ahead of the Blue Raiders (18-8 overall, 10-4 C-USA) in conference play and maintain a one-game lead over Marshall heading into Thursday's matchup between the teams at Bartow Arena.
"I can't have more respect for the Middle Tennessee program, and they tend to bring out the best in us," said UAB coach Jerod Haase, whose program now has a five-game winning streak against the Blue Raiders. "I think our guys have that level of respect and understand that, if we don't play with a great deal of urgency and effort and intelligence, we won't have a chance. I thought we did those things tonight. I thought our guys played very well, probably our most complete game of the season."
Williams had a big hand in the big night, which is good news for the Blazers, who are 12-0 this season when he scores 10 points or more. The 6-foot-5 junior college transfer absolutely took over during a key stretch in the second half. He scored 17 of his team-high 19 points in the second half, including a stretch when he scored 14 consecutive points for the Blazers. He did it with 3-point shots, hitting three, drives to the baskets, mid-range jumpers and fast break layups. It was thorough, and it was impressive.
"Dirk is one of the best shooters in this conference - if not in the country," Brown said. "When we get him the ball, I have confidence in him that if he shoots the ball, it's going in."
Confidence was certainly a key for Williams.
"I felt real confident," Williams said. "Coach told me to stay confident so that's what I did. The basket seemed bigger at that point."
His offensive effort helped the Blazers turn a 36-28 halftime advantage into a lead that reached 18 points and never dipped below double digits in the final 16:48.
The defensive effort also played a big role. Upshaw, who can score inside and outside, finished with 11 points but he was just 4-of-10 from the field. Brown, who is two inches shorter and 27 pounds lighter than Upshaw, not only asked for the challenge of guarding him but also delivered.
"I thought it was a very big deal in the game," Haase said. "He asked me how many offensive rebounds (Upshaw) had in the game, and I said two. He was discouraged because he didn't know if it was on him or not. He understands that matchup is a big matchup and felt he was really going to have to sit down and guard. I think he did that, and I think he did a good job of boxing out."
Baxter took the lead in covering Potts, who didn't play in the first game against UAB, and helped limit him to 4-of-10 shooting from the field and 3-of-7 from outside the 3-point arc. Potts entered the game leading the NCAA in 3-point percentage at 50 percent.
"Hakeem, I thought he was able to really work him early," Haase said. "With Potts at the point guard, we were trying to wear him down any chance we could. I don't know that it had an impact or not. With Potts, it's just understanding you can't leave him open at all. If you lead the nation in something this time of year, you're pretty good at it."
Once again, UAB relied on balance in every area to win the game. Brown finished with 15 points, while William Lee joined him in double figures with 14 points. Lee also had seven rebounds and two blocked shots. Nick Norton fought through some foul trouble to contribute seven points and five assists.
After the game, Haase acknowledged the UAB fans who made an impact after journeying to Murfreesboro and then went into the locker room to talk to his team about what is ahead the next two weeks.
"We understand there are four games left, and it's going to be a heckuva battle," Haase said. "But we're in a position to control our own destiny right now. Most of our goals are geared toward the postseason, but one of our goals would be to win the conference championship. We talked to our guys in the locker room about who has won a conference championship. Outside of my hand, there weren't a lot."
UAB returns home for the first time since Feb. 6 when the Blazers welcome Marshall to Bartow Arena Thursday at 7 p.m. All fans are encouraged to wear black.
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.
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