Thomas, Barnes Propel UAB to 68-52 Victory Over North Texas

Saturday, January 20

Birmingham, Ala.

2:00 P.M.

UAB

15-3, 4-1

North Texas

11-7, 2-4

North Texas

UAB

Thomas, Barnes Propel UAB to 68-52 Victory Over North Texas

1/20/2018 5:56:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Standout performances from Katelynn Thomas and Miyah Barnes helped the UAB women's basketball team bounce back from its first home loss of the season as the Blazers defeated North Texas 68-52 on Saturday afternoon.

Thomas matched her career-high in scoring with 22 points on a perfect 11-for-11 shooting from the floor, while Barnes recorded her first career double-double as she poured in 12 points and dished out a career-best 10 assists.

The victory for UAB (15-3, 4-1) broke a three-game win streak by North Texas in the series and matched the Blazers' win total from a season ago (15). The win also marked the ninth time this season the Green and Gold have emerged victorious from the friendly confines of Bartow Arena.

The Mean Green (11-7, 2-4) came into the game with the third-best scoring defense in the nation allowing only 51.8 points per game, a mark the Blazers only needed three quarters to surpass.

"That was a great bounce back performance for our team," head coach Randy Norton said. "I thought our players showed great resilience in coming back from Thursday night's loss. Our girls did a great job on the defensive end tonight and were assignment correct and defended hard all game long.

I'm really proud of Katie (Thomas) and the growth that she has experienced. The hard work she has committed in the offseason, it's fun to see it pay off when a person makes the kind of sacrifices she has made to get to where she is."

Sophomore Rachael Childress rounded out the trio of UAB players in double figures as the sophomore chipped in 16 points and added three assists. Childress has now scored 15 points or more in seven games this season.

The Blazers were big on the glass as well as UAB outrebounded North Texas, 35-32. Kara Rawls led the way on the glass, pulling down 10 rebounds for the second-straight game, while Angela Vendrell hauled in eight boards of her own to go along with a game-high three blocks.

As a team, the Green and Gold were perfect from the free throw line (16-for-16) and now are shooting 73 percent on the season, which currently ranks fourth in the conference.

North Texas was paced by Terriell Bradley's 21 points and seven rebounds.

Both teams struggled from the field early with Childress breaking a scoreless tie 3:31 into the game courtesy of two free throws. Barnes knocked down a 3-pointer two possessions later to give the Blazers an early 5-2 cushion at the 6:26 mark.

The Mean Green then used a 7-2 run that was thwarted by a converted Thomas layup and Childress's first three-pointer of the game to stop the momentum. Two Trista Magee free throws with less than a second on the clock knotted the score up at 14-14 at the end of the opening period.

The Blazers used a fast start in the second quarter to break the contest open as Lea Kerstein propelled UAB on a 13-1 run when the freshman knocked in a 3-pointer to start the scoring.
Thomas then went to work, banking in three consecutive shots in the paint to put the 31-20.

Childress was also equally efficient from the charity stripe (6-for-6) in the period and nailed all eight of her first half attempts en route to 11 first half points. Two Barnes free throws gave UAB a comfortable 37-20 first half advantage.

The Mean Green jumped out to an 8-2 run in the second half, but the combination of Barnes and Thomas sparked the Blazers as Thomas continued her hot hand with three consecutive layups, two courtesy of no-look dishes from Barnes.

Childress netted a 3-pointer in the third frame and is now just six away from sole possession of seventh place on the school's career made 3-point field goals list. Kara Rawls drained a jumper at the buzzer – again the recipient of a well-crafted assist from Barnes – to place the Blazers at a healthy 52-38 advantage heading into the final period of play.

Junior Deanna Kuzmanic jumped in the scoring column with five points in the final quarter as UAB built its biggest lead of the game, 59-38, before a flurry of late North Texas baskets narrowed the final score to 68-52.

Following a three-game homestand, UAB will trek to Miami for a conference matchup with FIU on Jan. 25 before returning home once again to square off with Florida Atlantic on Jan. 27.

For more information on the UAB women' basketball team follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_WBB), Instagram (@UAB_WBBALL) or like them on Facebook (Facebook.com/UABWBB).