Walker's Game-Winner Leads UAB to 68-65 Road Win at WKU

Thursday, January 27

Bowling Green, Ky.

8 p.m.

UAB

-174,71 CUSA

WKU

-1010,25 CUSA

UAB

Western Ky.

Photo by: EVAN BROWN/ www.evan-brown.com

Walker's Game-Winner Leads UAB to 68-65 Road Win at WKU

1/27/2022 11:57:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Blazers love some late drama, and Thursday night's thriller was no different as Jordan Walker drilled a game-winning 3-pointer with five seconds remaining to lift UAB to a 68-65 victory at WKU. Thursday's win marked UAB's fourth straight Conference USA victory and keeps the Blazers atop the C-USA's West Division standings.

UAB (17-4, 7-1 C-USA), who trailed for just 10 seconds in Thursday night's victory, found itself behind for the first time with 43 seconds remaining when WKU's Camron Justice knocked down three free throws to make it 63-62 Hilltoppers. Justin Brown, who played only 2:23 in the win, drilled the biggest shot of his UAB career 10 seconds later when his 3-pointer from the top of the arc rattled home to put the Blazers back in front at 65-63 with 33 seconds remaining.

WKU's Jamarion Sharp tied the game off an alley-oop dunk with 22 seconds remaining, giving the Blazers the opportunity to take the final shot. After head coach Andy Kennedy called timeout at midcourt with 12 seconds, Walker used a screen from center Trey Jemison to find himself some space to nail the game-winner well beyond the 3-point line. WKU's Dayvion McKnight attempted a triple of his own at the buzzer to send the game to overtime, but his shot fell short off the front iron to seal the Blazers' victory.

"I told our group afterward, we did as many things wrong down the stretch to allow Western to get back into it, momentarily take a lead, but a huge three by Jelly at the end," Kennedy said. "JB [Justin Brown] put us in a position to win the game and then Jelly sealed it."

UAB used an 11-2 opening run to jump ahead of WKU (10-10, 2-5 C-USA) early in E.A. Diddle Arena. Michael Ertel, who chipped in with 10 points off the bench, drilled a 3-pointer to cap off the Blazers' 11-2 spurt to open the game. Ertel went 3-of-3 from the field to start Thursday's game, finishing just behind Walker (14) for the most UAB points in the first half with seven points of his own.

The Blazers extended their halftime lead back to double digits early in the second half when Tavin Lovan finished off a difficult bucket in the paint after being fouled by the 7-foot-5-inch Sharp, sinking the ensuing free throw to make it 39-29 Blazers with 18:19 remaining in the second half.

WKU countered with a 10-0 run of its own to tie the game at 41-41 with 13:36 left in the game. UAB, however, did not allow the Hilltoppers to retake the lead during its early surge in the second half, using a second-chance opportunity from Quan Jackson to retake the lead at 43-41 just over a minute later.

Walker (21) paced the Blazers in scoring while also leading UAB with five assists. Ertel (10) and Jackson (10) rounded out the trio of Blazers in double figures. Jemison provided a massive presence on the defensive side of the ball, pulling down 12 total rebounds (eight defensive) while also posting three blocks and a steal in 33 minutes played.

Jackson also reached another milestone in his collegiate basketball career, recording his 300^th-career steal with 13:03 remaining in the second half of Thursday's victory. The graduate guard leads UAB with 52 swipes this season and has tallied 301 steals across his career.

In his return to the Bluegrass State, Lovan finished the game with eight points, five rebounds, three assists and a block to earn a victory over his mother and father's alma mater. Both of Lovan's parents played college basketball at WKU in the 1990s.

Thursday's victory also marked the first time UAB has posted back-to-back wins in Bowling Green since 1989-90.

UAB will look to make it five straight wins when it concludes its weekend road swing at Marshall (7-13, 0-7 C-USA) on Saturday in Huntington, West Virginia. Saturday's tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT and will stream live on ESPN+.

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