Complete Performance Sees Blazers Cruise Past Owls, 90-57

Saturday, January 27

Birmingham, Ala.

4:00 P.M.

UAB

17-3, 6-1

Florida Atlantic

10-8, 4-3

FAU

UAB

Complete Performance Sees Blazers Cruise Past Owls, 90-57

1/27/2018 8:11:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Double-double performances from Kara Rawls and Imani Johnson paced a 50-point attack in the paint, while the Blazers finished the game shooting 50 percent (35-for-70) from the field, as the UAB women's basketball team blew past Florida Atlantic 90-57 on Saturday.

Rawls recorded her second-straight double-double and third of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Johnson tallied her first career double-double by pulling down a career-high 11 boards and pouring in 10 points.

The duo's efforts mark the first time that two Blazers have recorded double-doubles in the same game since Janae Smith and Dy'Man Webb each accomplished that feat on Nov. 25, 2014.

UAB (17-3, 6-1) is off to its best 20-game start in program history and is now just three wins shy of its ninth-ever 20-win season and first since the 2010-11 campaign.

"I could tell that our team was going to be ready to go at shoot around earlier today," head coach Randy Norton said. "They had good bounce and energy all day and they were locked into the game plan. We knew FAU was playing well coming in and we knew the key was going to be rebounding and we took care of that tonight. I am really pleased with how we played."

Junior Deanna Kuzmanic led the team in scoring on Saturday night as she finished with 21 points, the fifth time this season she has eclipsed the 20-point mark. Kuzmanic's stat line also included four assists, four rebounds and four steals.

Miyah Barnes played a team-high 29 minutes for the Blazers, posting 13 points and three assists to round out the UAB scorers in double figures. A foursome of Blazers finished the game with six points, while Angela Vendrell scored five points while dishing out a team-best five assists.

As a team, the Green and Gold tallied 27 assists to just 11 turnovers, while forcing 17 FAU turnovers which UAB turned into 24 points. The Blazers also outscored Florida Atlantic 50-22 in the paint and 33-4 off the bench en route to their third-straight victory.

Florida Atlantic was led by Ra'Kyra Gabriel, who finished the game with 24 points and seven rebounds. Danneal Ford added 16 points and seven assists for the Owls in the loss.

UAB got off to a red-hot start in the game, jumping out to an early 6-0 lead following three-made baskets and six-straight rebounds from Rawls. FAU scored its first bucket at the 6:40 mark to get on the board at 8-2, but a 11-5 run to close out the quarter and 61.5 percent (8-for-13) shooting percentage saw UAB up 19-7 after one period.

The Blazers saw more of the same in the second quarter as the hot shooting continued and extended the advantage to 34-14 following a made layup by Vendrell at the 6:20 mark. The largest advantage of the first half came at the 1:29 mark when Kuzmanic nailed a 3-pointer to put UAB up 46-24 before taking a 46-26 lead into the break.

Florida Atlantic made a push in the middle of the third quarter as a 6-0 run cut the Owls' deficit to 54-37. That was as close as the visitors got, however, as UAB closed out the third quarter on 16-8 run to take a 70-45 edge into the fourth quarter.

Trista Magee knocked down a 3-pointer with 6:06 remaining in the contest to push the Blazers over the 30-point mark, 80-50. From there, UAB was able to ride out the game and secure the 90-57 victory.

UAB will hit the road for three-straight games next week as the Green and Gold travel to El Paso, Texas to take on UTEP on Feb. 2. Tip off for the game is slated for 8 p.m. (CST).

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