UAB Kicks Off Road Swing with Trip to UTEP

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The UAB women's basketball team kicks off a three-game road swing on Friday evening as the Blazers head to El Paso, Texas, to square off with UTEP at the Don Haskins Center at 8 p.m. (CST).

The Blazers (17-3, 6-1) are currently an impressive 6-1 on the road this year, matching the most road wins in a season under head coach Randy Norton. A victory over the Miners would give the Blazers their most road victories in a season since winning eight games away from Bartow Arena during the 2011-12 campaign.

"Friday's game will be the beginning of a challenging road test for us," Norton said. "It is always difficult to go on the road in Conference USA, but I know our girls are locked in and hungry to go out and perform to the best of their ability. We have had a good week of practice and we have all bought into the game plan, so I am excited to see how we perform in a hostile environment."

UAB is coming off commanding 90-57 home win over Florida Atlantic last Saturday. Senior Kara Rawls finished the game with 12 points and 12 rebounds for her second-straight double-double and third of the year, while Imani Johnson posted her first career double-double with 10 points and a career-high 11 boards.

Deanna Kuzmanic led the Blazers in the scoring in the win with 21 points, the fifth time this year she has eclipsed 20-point mark. Sophomore Miyah Barnes was the only other Blazer in double figures, pouring in 13 points.

The Green and Gold continues to be among the nation's best in multiple categories, including the third-best 3-point field goal percentage (41.2) and the sixth-best assist/turnover ratio (1.5). The team's 18.3 assists per game is also ranked 14^th in the NCAA, while giving up the eighth-fewest turnovers nationally.

UTEP (13-7, 4-3) is coming off a nail-biting 50-48 road win over North Texas. Katarina Zec led the way for the Miners with 11 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer, while Jordan Alexander tallied eight points and 13 rebounds in the win.

Tamara Seda has been the offensive catalyst for UTEP, averaging 14.5 points per game and 9.5 rebounds per game. Seda also leads the team in assists, dishing out 58 on the season. Najala Howell is the only other Miner averaging double figures, pouring in 13.1 points per game.

The two programs will do battle for the 18^th time in program history when they take the hardwood on Friday with UTEP holding a slim 9-8 advantage in the all-time series. The teams last met on Feb. 2, 2017, with UAB emerging with a 74-61 win in Birmingham.

Friday night's game will be broadcast live on beIN Sports CONNECT beginning at 8 p.m. (CST), while fans can also follow along with the live stats at utepathletics.com as well as on Twitter at @UAB_WBB.

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).

UAB Kicks Off Road Swing with Trip to UTEP

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Players Mentioned

Miyah Barnes

Imani Johnson

Deanna Kuzmanic

Kara Rawls

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics