UAB Escapes Huntington with 69-62 Win over Marshall

Saturday, February 10

Huntington, W. Va.

12:00 P.M.

UAB

-203, 91 CUSA

Marshall

-717, 110 CUSA

UAB

Marshall

UAB Escapes Huntington with 69-62 Win over Marshall

2/10/2018 2:46:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF) Season Stats

HUNTINGTON, W. Va. – The UAB women's basketball team once again found itself in a shootout on the road and was once again up to the task as the Blazers escaped the Cam Henderson Center with a 69-62 win over Marshall on Saturday.

The Blazers (20-3, 9-1) have now eclipsed the 20-win plateau for the first time since the 2010-11 season and have solidified their ninth 20-win season in program history. The win also marks the Green and Gold's first victory in Huntington since January 11, 2014, snapping a three-game road skid against Marshall.

"They knew when I walked into the locker room that they did not play well today," head coach Randy Norton said. "But this is a special team because when it is winning time, they find a way to win. I am pleased with the win, but I really challenged our team that on Monday, we have got to come in and get better."

Reigning Conference USA Player of the Week and National Player of the Week Rachael Childress did not show any signs of slowing down, scoring a game-high 24 points on an impressive 7-for-11 shooting effort from behind the arc. The sophomore has now scored at least 20 points in five games this season and two times in the last three games.

Kara Rawls joined Childress in double figures, adding 12 points and four rebounds in the win, while sophomore Miyah Barnes poured in 11 points of her own, including four game-sealing free throws in the final 17 seconds of the game.

Junior Deanna Kuzmanic had a solid game, contributing nine points to go along with a team-best five assists, while Angela Vendrell scored six points and led the team in rebounding with eight boards in the win.

The team was solid from the field against Marshall, shooting 44.8 percent (26-for-58), while outscoring the Thundering Herd 30-16 in the paint. UAB also dished out 18 assists to just 10 turnovers in the victory.

Marshall was led by Shayna Gore, who led the Thundering Herd with 21 points, as well as 15 points and eight rebounds from Talequia Hamilton.

With both teams trading baskets early in the first quarter, it was Marshall who took the early lead, using a triple from Logan Fraley to open up a 15-10 with 2:38 to play. The Blazers responded well, though, using a 7-0 run in the final 2:07 of period to take a 17-15 after one.

That momentum carried over into the second quarter for the Blazers, which used a 10-1 run in the first 3:09 of the period to take a 27-16 lead after Childress buried a triple. UAB saw its lead grow to as large as 36-19 in the first half, but six-straight points from Marshall in the final two minutes cut the lead to 36-25 at halftime.

UAB got off to a sluggish start in the third quarter, allowing a 12-7 run in the opening five minutes to give Marshall some life with the score cut to 43-37. The Thundering Herd finished the quarter with nine points to slice the lead to 49-46 with just 10 minutes to play.

The two biggest shots of the game came from Rawls and Childress, who dumped in a layup and hit a 3-pointer, respectively, with just over five minutes to play to open up a 60-54 advantage for the Green and Gold.

With the lead holding steady around six points over the next four minutes, Marshall's Gore hit a 3-pointer with 19 seconds left to create a one possession game. However, four-straight made free throws from Barnes held off the Thundering Herd's comeback attempt and sealed the 69-62 triumph.

UAB returns to the friendly confines of Bartow Arena next week to kick off a four-game home stand as it hosts Rice on Feb. 15 as part of the team's Tropical Thursday celebration. Tipoff for the game is slated for 6 p.m. (CST).

Single game tickets for all four of the Blazers' upcoming home games are currently on sale and can be purchased online or by calling the UAB Ticket Office at 205-975-8221.

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).