UAB Squares Off with UTEP in the C-USA Quarterfinals

FRISCO, Texas – Coming off the program's first Conference USA Regular Season title, the UAB women's basketball team now sets its sights on winning the C-USA Tournament beginning on Thursday as it faces off with UTEP in the Ford Center at 11 a.m.

UAB (24-5, 13-3) enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed for the first time in program history following its regular-season title and will compete in the quarterfinal round of the tournament for the first time since facing UTEP in 2016.

"We are really going to have to be ready to go tomorrow," head coach Randy Norton said. "UTEP is a very good team and they are very well coached. Defensively, we are going to have to be assignment correct. We especially need to control the boards because they do a great job of crashing the glass. On the offensive side of the ball, we just need to do what we do and get out and run. We are excited to play tomorrow."

The Blazers last played the Miners on Feb. 2 with the Green and Gold emerging victorious, 84-64, in El Paso. Sophomore Rachael Childress paced the Blazer attack with 26 points courtesy of a career-high eight 3-pointers which accounted for half of the Blazers' school-record 17 3-pointers in the win.

In UAB's most recent game, it came back after trailing at halftime to topple UTSA, 74-66, and claim its first conference title in the C-USA era. Junior Deanna Kuzmanic and Childress led the team in the win with 20 points and 19 points, respectively.

UAB is in the midst of its most historic season ever as the Blazers have matched the program record for wins in a season (24) and won the most-ever conference games in school history (13).

Childress currently leads the team in scoring with 14.1 points per game, while Kuzmanic (13.9) and Miyah Barnes (11.2) round out the Blazers' double figure performers. The trio all earned All-Conference accolades on Monday as Childress and Kuzmanic were named to the first team and Barnes was named to the second team.

Norton also earned postseason accolades entering the conference tournament, becoming the third coach in program history to garner Coach of the Year honors and the first since Jeannie Milling in the 1989-90 season.

UTEP (17-13, 7-9) found itself in an offensive shootout in its opening round game of the C-USA Tournament on Wednesday, holding off eighth-seeded Southern Miss 72-67 to advance to the quarterfinal round. Tamara Seda led five Miners in double figures in the win with 19 points and 14 rebounds.

The two programs will meet for the 19^th time on Thursday with the series knotted up at nine games apiece. With its win in February, UAB is currently riding a two-game winning streak against UTEP, but are searching for its first neutral-site win against the Miners (0-2).

Thursday's quarterfinal game will be broadcast on Facebook Live and can be found here. More information on the C-USA Tournament, including ticketing information, can be found on the tournament website.

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 Squares Off with UTEP in the C-USA Quarterfinals

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Players Mentioned

Miyah Barnes

Rachael Childress

Deanna Kuzmanic

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics