Balanced Attack Leads UAB to 83-73 Victory over UTSA

Saturday, January 19

Bartow Arena

7 p.m.

UAB

12-7, 4-2

UTSA

10-9, 4-2

UTSA

UAB

Balanced Attack Leads UAB to 83-73 Victory over UTSA

1/19/2019 10:22:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score 2018-19 Season Statistics

BIRMINGHAM – Six players scored in double figures as a balanced attack led the UAB men's basketball team to an 83-73 victory over UTSA on Saturday night at Bartow Arena.

All five starters were in double figures, marking the first time since January 4, 2014 the Blazers have seen that happen. UAB improved its record to 10-1 at Bartow Arena this season with the victory.

The Blazers (12-7, 4-2 C-USA) shot over 50 percent from the floor for a second straight game, finishing at 53.6 percent (30-of-56), and held UTSA to 35.6 percent. The Roadrunners took 73 shots for the game, 41 of which came from 3-point range.

Jalen Perry had a team-high 18 points, while fellow starters Zack Bryant (17), Lewis Sullivan (16), Jeremiah Bell (10) and Makhtar Gueye (10) also reached double figures. Gueye added 11 rebounds for his second career double-double.

Freshman reserve Tavin Lovan also had 10 points to round out the six players in double digits.

UTSA's duo of Keaton Wallace and Jhivvan Jackson did most of the damage for the Roadrunners as Wallace ended with 33 and Jackson 22, but the two combined to take 49 of the team's 73 shots, including 35 from behind the arc.

UTSA (10-9, 4-2 C-USA) raced out to an early 12-6 lead, but the Blazers evened the contest 16-16 on a pair of free throws by Sullivan. However, Wallace had 13 early points and back-to-back 3-pointers gave the Roadrunners a 22-16 advantage at the second media timeout of the game.

The Blazers though, relied on their defense and outscored the Roadrunners 22-8 for the remainder of the half. Despite 18 points from Wallace on 7-of-14 shooting, UAB held UTSA to 30.6 percent in the opening 20 minutes (11-of-36) and took a 38-30 lead into halftime.

Perry had 10 points at the break and Lovan added eight. Gueye contributed six points and seven rebounds.

UTSA got within two points early in the second half (42-40), but a 15-0 Blazer run ensued to put the game out of reach as UAB controlled the contest after halftime. UAB shot 63 percent in the second half and saw its largest lead reach 20 with 8:43 remaining courtesy of two free throws by Gueye.

The two wins at home this weekend now find the Blazers in fourth place in the league standings as they near the midway point of C-USA play. After 14 league games, the top five teams will be placed in a pod and play their four remaining games against each other to decide a conference champion.

UAB now hits the road for a critical three-game road swing which begins on Thursday, Jan. 24 with North Texas (17-2, 5-1), followed by Rice (7-12, 2-4) and Middle Tennessee (5-14, 2-4).