The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Face UTEP Thursday on CBS Sports Network
2/1/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
UAB (14-8, 7-2) vs. UTEP (6-14, 4-4)
9 p.m. CST | El Paso, Texas | Haskins Center | CBS Sports Network
Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Game Notes
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The UAB men’s basketball team looks for its third straight win Thursday at 9 p.m. (CT) when the Blazers travel to El Paso, Texas, to face UTEP from the Haskins Center.
The game will be televised live on CBS Sports Network with John Sadak 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," on the flagship station for UAB men's basketball, WZRR-FM Talk 99.5.
UAB (14-8, 7-2) enters the matchup with the Miners coming off an 87-43 victory over Southern Miss in which the Blazers hit a season-high 12 three-pointers. UAB has shot at least 44.4 percent from three-point range in five consecutive games and is shooting 48.9 percent from beyond the arc during that stretch.
UAB freshman Nate Darling scored a career-high 20 points and sunk six 3-pointers to lead a quartet of Blazers in double figures. Fellow freshman Javien Williams added 13 points and three assists against the Golden Eagles to help UAB secure its 22nd straight home victory over Conference USA competition.
Junior forward William Lee paces UAB with 12.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. The Plantersville, Ala., also ranks first in Conference USA and 14th in the NCAA with 2.5 blocked shots per game.
Chris Cokley stands second on the team with 12.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game and is only 14 points shy of 1,000 for his career. Cokley also ranks 22nd in the nation with a .605 field goal percentage.
Dirk Williams adds 10.2 points per game to go along with a team-high 36 three-pointers made.
UTEP (6-14, 4-4) has won four of its last five games after picking up a 91-68 victory last Saturday at Marshall. The Miners opened the season with wins in two of their first three games, but then suffered a 12-game losing streak before snapping it with an overtime win over FIU on Jan. 12.
Junior guard Omega Harris leads UTEP with 17.2 points per game and 32 three-pointers made. Senior guard Dominic Artis stands second on the team with 15.2 points per game while leading the team with 6.2 assists per game.
UAB and UTEP will meet on the hardwood for the 18th time in school history when the two teams battle on Thursday. The Blazers own a 9-8 lead in the all-time series that dates back to the 1987-88 season. UAB defeated the Miners 87-80 last season in Birmingham and have won four of the last six meetings with UTEP. The Blazers and Miners have a history of close games, as each of the last eight games have been decided by nine points or less. In fact, five of the previous eight games have been decided by three points or less.
For more information on UAB men’s basketball, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_MBB), Instagram (@blazerhoops) and Snapchat (@UAB_MBB).
