Blazers Surpass the Century Mark to Blow Past UNC Asheville 102-77

Tuesday, November 9

Bartow Arena

6:30 p.m.

UAB

102

UNC ASHEVILLE

Photo by: Michael Wade

Blazers Surpass the Century Mark to Blow Past UNC Asheville 102-77

11/9/2021 9:50:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Postgame Press Conference

BIRMINGHAM – Blazer guards Jordan Walker and Quan Jackson tied for a game-high 19 points as the UAB men's basketball team posted a 102-77 victory in the regular-season opener over UNC Asheville on Tuesday night.

The Blazers (1-0) marked their 500^th regular-season game in Bartow Arena in style, reaching triple digits in a season opener for just the third time in program history. UAB's 25-point victory also was the first time the Blazers have surpassed 100 points in a regular-season opener against a Division I opponent.

Walker, who went 7-for-7 in the first half with 15 points, stretched UAB's lead to eight points at the break with a driving layup in the final seconds of the first half. The Port Washington, New York native gathered an outlet pass from center Trey Jemison and accelerated up the floor to give the Blazers a 44-36 lead at the half.

"He's a difference maker for us because of his ability to break down defenses," head coach Andy Kennedy said. "It's hard to break a press, and that is what Asheville does.

"It didn't seem very chaotic to us because of [Jordan] "Jelly" Walker. They pressed us for over 40 minutes, and we only turned it over six times. It's really because of Jelly's ability to break down defenses and get the ball in the paint."

Junior forward KJ Buffen added nine of his 11 points in the first half to help the Blazers post 44 points in the first 20 minutes.

After UNC Asheville (0-1) trimmed the Blazers' advantage to four with 18:29 remaining in the second half, Walker once again sparked the UAB offense with his second 3-pointer of the game. Walker's triple started a 14-0 run for UAB over the next two minutes, which included a massive slam dunk from Jackson after stealing the ball on the other side of the court from UNC Asheville's BJ Marable.

The Blazers would extend their lead to what was then a game-high 27 points with 8:13 remaining in the game. A layup from Jemison following a made free throw from Jackson helped build the Green and Gold's largest lead of the game to that point at 80-53.

A three-pointer from Justin Brown helped UAB hit the century mark with just under two minutes remaining in the game, while a layup from guard Tony Toney pushed the Blazers to their final tally a minute later.

Five Blazers – Walker (19), Jackson (19), Michael Ertel (13), Tavin Lovan (13) and Buffen (11) – reached double figures as the Blazers featured a balanced attack offensively. On the boards, Blazers Buffen, Jemison and Josh LeBlanc, Sr. paced UAB with seven rebounds apiece.

"We're all beyond happy," Walker said. "A lot of us came from different schools, and we're looking for that way to be ourselves while still playing for a team that can win."

UNC Asheville's LJ Thorpe led the Bulldogs with 16 points, while forward Drew Pember chipped in 14 points to rank second on the team.

UAB will continue its three-game homestand to open the 2021-22 season when the Blazers host defending Ohio Valley Conference Tournament champions Morehead State on Friday. Friday night's contest will tip off at 6 p.m. in Bartow Arena and will be broadcast on Stadium.

For more information on the UAB men's basketball team, follow @UAB_MBB on Twitter and Instagram.

MEN'S BASKETBALL TICKET INFORMATION
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