The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
1-0
Troy
0-1
Late 3-Pointer Lifts UAB Over Troy 76-75
11/7/2019 10:50:00 PM | Men's Basketball
TROY, Ala. – Makhtar Gueye's 3-pointer with 5.2 seconds remaining gave UAB a thrilling 76-75 victory over Troy on Thursday night.
Zack Bryant and Jalen Benjamin each finished with 17 points. Tavin Lovan scored 13 of his career-tying 16 points in the 2nd half. Will Butler pulled down a game-high nine rebounds, five on the offensive glass and was a +13.
As a team, UAB shot 49 percent (27-for-55) and 47 percent (9-for-19) from beyond the arc.
KJ Simon scored a game-high 21 points and Ty Gordon and Darian Adams each added 18 for the Trojans.
After a slow start for both teams, UAB used a 13-0 run, holding Troy scoreless for over three minutes, to take a 20-9 lead heading into the under eight minute media timeout.
Benjamin's 3-pointer at 7:25 made the score 23-11 and gave the Blazers its largest lead of the half at 12 points. However, this would be their last basket of the half as Troy would go on a 19-3 to take a 30-26 lead into halftime.
The second half opened with a pair of ties and six lead changes. With Troy ahead by three points, UAB went on a 17-2 run to open up another 12 point lead at 61-49 with 8:46 left. Once again, Troy made a comeback and scored the next 12 points to tie the contest with 6:17 to play.
The Trojans would build a seven point advantage with 2:04 left, but the Blazers would answer with seven straight points from Bryant including a steal that resulted in a dunk that tied the game at 73-73 with 44 seconds left.
Troy went up by two on a Simon dunk with 34 seconds left. With 13.8, UAB called timeout to set up the game-winning play. After Gueye's shot fell, Adams' last second attempt to finish for Troy bounced off the left side of the rim to give UAB the victory.
"Tonight was a crazy, fun, exciting college basketball game. Troy had a lot of energy tonight and this was one of loudest road environments that we've played in. This win on the road will carry a lot of weight going forward," said head coach Robert Eshan.
"Tamell Pearson, Makhtar, Tavin, Will and Kassim Nicholson all have an incredible knack for rebounding tonight."
UAB dominated the boards 45-22 and 17-9 on the offensive end.
"It's a game of runs, and we made the last one," concluded Ehsan
UAB's home opener is Monday night at 7 p.m. in this year's Salute to Service game. More information on the Salute to Service game and how to get involved can be accessed here.
Season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by clicking here or by calling the UAB Athletics Ticket Office at 205-975-UAB1. Fans can also request more information on ticket options for the upcoming season here. Discounted group tickets and fan experiences are available for a minimum purchase of 20 tickets. To inquire about group tickets for the 2019-20 season, please contact Chris Curtis at (205) 934-3172 or ccurtis2@uab.edu.
