Dominant Fourth Quarter Propels UAB to 84-64 Win Over UTEP

Friday, February 2

El Paso, Texas

8:00 P.M.

UAB

-183, 71 CUSA

UTEP

-138, 44 CUSA

UAB

UTEP

Dominant Fourth Quarter Propels UAB to 84-64 Win Over UTEP

2/3/2018 12:02:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score Season Stats

EL PASO, Texas – Entering the fourth quarter hanging on to a 54-52 lead, the UAB women's basketball team's offense put on a show as it outscored UTEP 30-12 on the back of an 84.6 percent shooting effort to push the Blazers past the Miners, 84-64, on Saturday night.

The Blazers (18-3, 7-1) were also propelled by an incredible performance from behind the arc as the team connected on a school-record 17 made 3-point baskets. The previous school record was set on March 24, 2011, when the Green and Gold made 14 3-pointers against Manhattan.

UAB's 18 victories match the most wins under head coach Randy Norton in his five seasons at the helm and bring the Blazers to within just two wins of their first 20-win season since the 2010-11 season. The Blazers also improved to 7-1 on the road, the most road victories since winning eight during the 2011-12 season and the most under Norton.

"We really have a team that has grown up," Norton said. "Last year, when they were freshman, we would not have been able to come back and win this game. We talked about being gritty and tough at halftime. We talked about it and made the adjustments and I thought we came out, grinded it out and played hard. Then, in the fourth quarter, I think we just wore them out. All-in-all, it was a really good team win."

Sophomore Rachael Childress was a force to be reckoned with, scoring a game-high 26 points with most of her damage coming from a career-best eight-made 3-pointers. Childress has now scored at least 25 points in three games this season, while she has made at least five 3-pointers in five games. She has now made 168 career 3-pointers, good for sole possession of eighth place in program history.

Deanna Kuzmanic finished the game with 19 points to compliment four rebounds and seven assists. The junior is now just 81 points away from becoming the 28^th member of UAB's 1,000-point club. Trista Magee was the only other Blazer in double figures, scoring 14 points on an impressive 50-percent shooting (4-for-8) from 3-point land.

Senior Kara Rawls finished the game with eight points and seven rebounds, while fellow starter Miyah Barnes dished out 10 assists for the second time this season to go along with seven points. Imani Johnson provided solid minutes off the bench, finishing with eight points and five boards.

The bench once again played a major factor and showcased UAB's depth as the Blazers' reserves outscored the Miners, 24-13. The Blazers' unselfishness was also on display in the win as the Green and Gold posted 27 assists to just 12 turnovers.

UTEP (13-8, 4-4) was led Jordan Alexander's 18 points as well as a 10-point, 10-rebound display from Tamara Seda.

UAB jumped out to an early 9-0 advantage halfway through the first period after back-to-back triples from Childress and a layup from Barnes. The Miners responded quickly, though, using a 13-1 run to cut the lead to 13-10 with 1:48 remaining.

After pushing the lead back to six points courtesy of a buzzer-beating layup by Childress, the Blazers opened a 24-14 lead 1:45 into the second quarter following back-to-back 3-pointers from Kuzmanic and Magee.

UTEP stole the momentum late the in first half, using an 8-0 run over the final 1:54 to take a 34-32 lead into the locker room.

The Miners got off to a quick start to begin the second half, using a 12-6 run to push their lead to 46-38 with 6:22 left in the third. Following a quick 30-second timeout, the Blazer offense came alive, scoring 10-straight points to retake the lead at 46-44 following a Kuzmanic 3-pointer.

Up only two points entering the fourth quarter, the Blazers found an offensive rhythm that the Miners could not overcome as UAB went up 64-53 just over two minutes into the fourth quarter. What happened next was simply remarkable as the Green and Gold hit six-straight 3-pointers to take a 76-57 lead with 4:57 to play.

From there, it was smooth sailing for UAB as the lead remained above 20 points and secured its 18^th win of the year, 84-64.

UAB continues its three-game road swing on Sunday as the Blazers travel to Ruston, Louisiana, to take on Louisiana Tech. Tipoff for Sunday's contest is slated for 2 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).