UAB Falls 65-59 to West Virginia at Legacy Arena

Saturday, December 18

LEGACY ARENA

4 p.m.

UAB

-93,00 CUSA

WEST VIRGINIA

10-1,0-0Big 12

West Virginia

UAB

Photo by: Ken Shepherd

UAB Falls 65-59 to West Virginia at Legacy Arena

12/18/2021 8:28:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Postgame Post Conference

BIRMINGHAM – The UAB men's basketball team fell 65-59 to West Virginia (10-1) behind a late run from the Mountaineers in the game's final eight minutes.

UAB (9-3) expanded its three-point halftime lead to nine points after Tony Toney converted a layup in the paint to make it 51-42 Blazers with 8:02 remaining in the game. The Mountaineers, however, clamped down on defense and converted tough shots to close the game on a 23-8 run.

With less than two minutes remaining, WVU's Taz Sherman drilled a deep 3-pointer with time ticking down on the shot clock to turn a one-point Mountaineer lead to a four-point advantage at 58-54. Sherman finished the contest with a game-high 17 points.

"Our inability to execute against pressure has cost us all three of the games that we've lost," head coach Andy Kennedy said. "It happened to us at South Carolina, against San Francisco and again tonight.

"You've got to give West Virginia credit."

UAB's offense clicked early and often in the first half, building a 10-point lead at 14-4 after graduate guard Michael Ertel knocked down a short jumper in the paint. Jamal Johnson helped ignite the Blazers' offense off the bench in game's first 10 minutes, drilling 3-pointers on back-to-back UAB possessions.

After West Virginia grabbed its first lead of the game with 3:17 remaining in the first half, UAB closed the half with eight of the game's next 12 points. A transition dunk from guard Quan Jackson and a pull-up jumper from Josh LeBlanc, Sr., had the Blazers up three at 29-26 after the first 20 minutes.

After the Blazers and Mountaineers traded buckets for the 10 minutes of the second half, Trey Jemison converted an and-1 opportunity to expand UAB's lead to 47-38 with 11:30 left on the clock. LeBlanc, Sr. then hammered home a dunk less than two minutes later to push the Blazers' advantage back to nine points at 49-40.

Jemison paced the Blazers on the glass with a game-high 12 rebounds, chipping in 10 points to record his third double-double of the season and seventh of his career. Guard Jordan Walker led UAB with 13 points and four assists. Walker has reached double figures in scoring in 10 of the 11 games he's played in this season.

Buffen, who fouled out in the contest's final five minutes, continued his strong run for the Blazers with 11 points and seven rebounds in just 25 minutes.

UAB will conclude its nonconference schedule Wednesday when the Blazers host Mississippi Valley State in Bartow Arena. Tipoff in Bartow is set for 6:30 p.m. and will stream live on CUSA.tv.

MEN'S BASKETBALL TICKET INFORMATION
UAB men's basketball single-game tickets at Bartow Arena start as low as $12 and can be purchased by clicking here or calling the UAB Athletics Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1.

Discounted group tickets and fan experiences are available for a minimum purchase of 15 tickets to any home basketball game during the 2021-22 season. Groups are encouraged to complete the UAB Basketball Group Ticket Request Form or call the UAB Athletics Ticket Office for more information.