UAB Falls In Overtime to No. 11 Tennessee In Junkanoo Jam Championship Game

Saturday, November 24

Bimini, Bahamas

1 p.m.

UAB

4-1

Tennessee

5-0

OT 1

Tennessee

UAB

UAB Falls In Overtime to No. 11 Tennessee In Junkanoo Jam Championship Game

11/24/2018 4:33:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score

BIMINI, Bahamas – The UAB women's basketball team gave No. 11 Tennessee all it could handle, but the Blazers fell to the Lady Vols 73-69 in overtime in the Resort World Junkanoo Jam Junkanoo Division Championship game.

Katelynn Thomas earned All-Tournament honors after she led UAB in scoring for both games as she finished with 19 points against Tennessee. Thomas was 16-of-11 from the field to go along with 41 points and 11 rebounds during the two-game stretch.

"Katelynn is just blossoming right before our eyes," head coach Randy Norton said. "She is a young lady who is getting better and better. I am excited for her and our team because when you have that inside presence it is going to open up things on the outside so we can have the balance of playing inside out."

Thomas led four Blazers in the double figure scoring column as Rachael Childress, Miyah Barnes and Deanna Kuzmanic also joined her.

Childress matched Thomas' 19 points on a season-best five 3-pointers made and also reeled in six rebounds.

Barnes finished with 13 points and dished out eight assists. Conference USA's leader in assists per game has 38 on the season, averaging 7.6 per contest.

Kuzmanic, who made her 100th career start for the Green and Gold, kept her streak alive of finishing in double figures every game this season as the senior had 10 points to go along with a team high seven rebounds.

Collectively UAB shot 39.1 percent (9-of-23) from long range, but was just 24-of-65 (36.9 percent) from the field.

"We told the girls before the game that our win over Oklahoma was the first round of the NCAA Tournament and we were playing Tennessee to go to the Sweet 16 and being in the Bahamas was a great place to do it," Norton said.

UAB jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead in the first quarter, before Tennessee would net its first basket. Childress quickly responded to the Lady Vols' bucket with a field goal 6:46 in to put the Blazer up 9-2. Tennessee went on a 7-0 run late in the quarter, but free throws from Barnes and Kuzmanic gave the Blazers a 20-13 lead after one.

Angela Vendrell hit a jumper to start the second quarter before Tennessee would rattle off the next four points to cut the Blazers' lead to three. UAB answered, stretching its lead back to seven with 7:05 remaining in the half. The Lady Vols took their first lead of the game with 3:50 left in the second quarter, but the Blazers ended the half on a 12-2 run to lead 38-29 at the break.

Neither team found a bucket until a minute and a half into the third quarter, but it was the Lady Vols who struck first netting the first two baskets before UAB got on the scoreboard at the 7:45 mark with a Childress 3-pointer. Tennessee responded to cut the lead to six, but the UAB offense took over to hit three 3-pointers in the closing minutes to lead 56-46 at the end of the third quarter.

Tennessee chipped away at the UAB lead in the fourth quarter hitting six of the first nine shots and tied the game at 65 with 52 seconds to play in regulation. UAB went to the line with a pair of free throws as 29 seconds remained in the game but was unable to convert and sent the game into overtime.

Barnes gave UAB the lead back with a jumper as 3:39 remained in the game, but that would be the last lead for the Blazers. Tennessee tied the game with a layup seconds later and converted the and-1. Barnes netted the final basket of the game with six seconds left, but it was not enough as the Lady Vols claimed a four point win.

"I am really proud of our team and it has been a great tournament for us," Norton said. "Obviously we are all disappointed to let that one slip away, I felt like we led three of the four quarters but we didn't put together a fourth quarter which is uncharacteristic of this group because typically the fourth quarter is our best."

Tennessee (5-0) took home the tournament title behind a double-double from Kasiyahna Kushkituah who finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Rennia Davis and Evina Westbrook also found the double figure scoring column with 18 and 16 respective points.

"I have to give credit to Tennessee," Norton said. "They are the 11th ranked team in the country and to beat a team like them you have to put the ball in the hole and we shot 36 percent from the field so that made it a little more challenging.

"But man am I proud of our team, I thought they battled and played with toughness. If we can learn from this tournament and this particular game then we are going to feel really good about ourselves come March. We have time to continue to get better and grow as a team and I am really excited about this squad."

UAB returns home for a pair of home games, welcoming Alabama A&M to Bartow Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 6 p.m. The Blazers close to homestand with Alcorn State two days later on Friday, Nov. 30 with tipoff set for 6 p.m.

Women's basketball season tickets are on sale by purchasing the 2018-19 Gold Card for $65. The Gold Card includes access to home volleyball, baseball and softball games in addition to all 12 of women's basketball's remaining home contests. Contact the UAB Ticket Office, (205) 975-UAB1, for more details.

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