Blazers Host Edward Waters in Season Opener

11/23/2020 3:14:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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BIRMINGHAM – The Blazers open up the 2020-2021 season Wednesday morning against Edward Waters at Bartow Arena.

Wednesday, Nov. 25
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Series Record: 0-0
Tickets: Single game tickets are available here and are $5 for adults or $3 for kids 18 or younger
LIVE STATS | WATCH (C-USA Streaming)

Fresh 2020 Start:
The 2020 Blazer roster adds five freshmen and two transfers to go with seven returners.

While the team's current squad has only made a combined four career starts at UAB, head coach Randy Norton and his staff are excited about this team's potential.

"We've had a great preseason. There's a lot of teaching going on. We're focusing on the fundamentals and teaching our system. It is a high IQ team; they have really caught on to our system," Norton said.

"There's such an eagerness to learn. I think everyone appreciates being able to play again."

Wednesday will be the first time UAB has played since Mar.11, when it fell to Louisiana Tech in the first round of the C-USA Women's Basketball Championship.

As a result of COVID-19, C-USA suspended all competition, including postseason play, on Mar. 12.

"When we finally got the green light that we could play, I think it gave all of us a greater appreciation for what we get to do," Norton said.

Scouting Edward Waters
This is the first meeting between UAB and Edward Waters. Last season, the Tigers went 11-4 overall and 6-8 in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference.

The matchup will count as an exhibition for EWC.

Meet the 2020-21 Blazers

Returners

Zakyia Weathersby, Center

Weathersby is the team's lone senior this season. She played in 28 games and made two starts last season and averaged 12.7 minutes a game. The 6-foot-2 center had 110 total rebounds, 72 on the defensive end, and led the team in field goal percentage (66.1%).

She is poised to be a big part of the Blazer defense this season.

Sara Rosenfeldt, Forward

Rosenfeldt is one of just two players on the current roster, including Weathersby, that has started for the Blazers.

She made 28 appearances last year, averaging 13.8 minutes per contest.

The junior forward, who played behind many experienced upperclassmen in her first two seasons, has the chance to increase her minutes and be one of the team's leaders.

Margaret Whitley, Guard

The Geneva, Ill., native, will be a big piece of the UAB offensive puzzle. The 5-foot-7 shooting guard had consistent playing time in her first two seasons, appearing in a combined 57 games.

Whitley is a liability for opposing defenses from behind the arc. Last season, she recorded 30 3-pointers, the most of any UAB non-starter.

Summer Schloss, Forward

Schloss redshirted her first season with the Blazers and did not see any action last season. In high school, the redshirt freshman from Gastonia, N.C., averaged 16.4 rebounds and 15.5 points.

She is looking to make an impact in her first season on the court.

Jasmine Gracie, Forward

Gracie, the only Alabama native on this year's squad, played in eight games her freshman season. With a year of collegiate experience under her belt, the 6-foot guard could be a weapon this season for UAB.

Sam Mitchell, Guard

Mitchell has made on impact on the Blazers from her first game as a freshman. The now-sophomore guard played in all 31 games for UAB as a freshman, the only nonstarter to appear in every game.

Playing behind and learning from seniors Angela Vendrell, Trista Magee and Miyah Barnes last season will help Mitchell this season as she tries to fill in the gaps left by them.

Audrey Jordan, Guard

After sitting out her freshman season, Jordan made 13 game appearances last season, tallying 11 rebounds, three assists and three blocks. The redshirt sophomore is poised to have a breakout season for the Blazers.

Transfers

In the off-season, UAB added two junior transfers to the roster: LaMiracle Sims and Claudia Armato.

Sims, a Moss Point, Miss., native, arrives after two successful at Jones College.
The junior forward, who started 48 of 54 games in her career, averaged a double double as a sophomore.

Sims with also be playing with a familiar face this year.

Weathersby and Sims were both part of the 2018-2019 Bobcats squad.

The Blazers also added Armato, a transfer from Southern Utah, in the off-season, who was approved to play immediately.

She is from Melbourne, Australia, and started 18 games last season for the Thunderbirds. The guard averaged 24 minutes per game and had the second highest number of assists on the team (84).

Freshmen

Caitlynn Daniels, Guard

Daniels, who comes from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, will play guard for UAB. She had a record-breaking career at Xavier High School and is the school's career leader in points assists and steals. She could help the Blazers on both sides of the court.

Lindsey Dullard, Guard

In her senior year at Morton High School, Dullard Averaged 15 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.3 steals per game. She was also named First Team All-State twice. She could potentially be a threat this year on defense.

Maddie Walsh, Forward

Walsh, a forward from Hartland, Wis., helped lead Arrowhead Union High School to State semifinals and quarterfinals. She has the height, at 6-foot-2, and the skill to make a difference offensively for the Blazers.

Emily Klaczek, Guard

The 5-foot-10 guard was a member of the 1,000-point club at Fremd High School. Klaczek knows how to score and could help UAB fill some of the offensive power that graduated in 2020.

Kylee Schneringer, Guard/Forward

Schneringer is the final member of the Blazer 2020 class. Like classmate Klaczek and Dullard, the 5-foot-11 guard hails from the state of Illinois. She was an All-Conference Team Selection at Normal Community High School.
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Fans at Bartow Arena will be asked to practice social distancing and sit in available seats. Masks are required at all times per state and county ordinance.

Fan Guide for the 2020-21 UAB Basketball Season

Women's Basketball Ticket Information

Women's basketball season tickets are also still available by purchasing the 2020-21 Gold Card for $65. The Gold Card is an exclusive offer that grants you admission into all women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, volleyball, baseball and softball events for the academic year. Contact the UAB Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1 for more details.

For more information on the UAB women's basketball team, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_WBB) and Instagram (UAB_WBBall).