Blazers Fall 68-65 at High Point

Friday, November 15

High Point, NC

6 p.m.

UAB

2-2,0-0AAC

High Point

4-0,0-0Big South

UAB

High Point

Blazers Fall 68-65 at High Point

11/15/2024 9:41:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

HIGH POINT, N.C. – UAB men's basketball (2-2) fell to High Point (4-0) by a score of 68-65 on a night where both teams shot below 38 percent from the field. Efrem "Butta" Johnson led the Blazers with 21 points while Yaxel Lendeborg added 17 points and grabbed 15 boards.

It was a rough start for both teams over the first few minutes. Only four total points were scored in the first four minutes. High Point eventually was able to hit some shots and extend their lead to 11-3 at the 12:59 mark of the first half.

Efrem "Butta" Johnson woke up the Blazer offense, scoring eight straight points to tie the game at 11. From there, it was tightly contested for the remainder of the half.

With UAB leading 22-19, the Panthers were able to go on a 7-0 run to lead by four with just over a minute to go. Tyren Moore then stepped up and hit a three to cut the lead to just one where it would stay at 26-25 at the half.

The Blazers started the second half 0-for-5 from the field with a turnover, allowing the Panthers to go on a 10-0 run to take a 36-35 lead. HPU's largest lead came at the 14:42 mark after a dunk by Kimani Hamilton.

After Bradley Ezewiro hit a pair of free throws to make it a nine-point game, Ja'Borri McGhee was able to come up with a steal and eventually hit a midrange jumper to cut it to a seven-point deficit.

HPU went 1-for-2 from the line on the ensuing possession before Lendeborg drove to the rim and converted a left-hended layup and Ezewiro finished a dunk to cut the lead to just four points.

The Panthers were again able to stretch their lead out to 12 at the 6:11 mark after Hamilton hit a turnaround jumper in the lane. Tony Toney quickly responded with a layup at the rim and Johnson knocked down a three to shrink the lead back to seven with 5:33 remaining.

With HPU leading by eight, Tony Toney drilled a contested three at the 2:01 mark to bring the Blazers back into the game. After a stop, Lendeborg was able to score inside to cut the lead to just three points. After a miss at the rim by the Panthers, Johnson got fouled driving to the rim and hit both free throws to make it 66-65 with 47 seconds remaining.

D'Maurian Williams found Kimani Hamilton at the rim for a dunk with 24 seconds left to put the lead back at three. On its final possession, UAB was unable to get a clean shot off and fell by a score of 68-65.

NOTES

Efrem "Butta" Johnson snapped out of his early season shooting slump and matched his career high of 21 points.
Yaxel Lendeborg scored 17 points and grabbed 15 boards for his second double-double of the season and 21^st of his career.
The Blazers shot their lowest percentage from the floor since February 21, 2024 vs. Rice.
UAB shot a season-high .389 (7-18) from beyond the arc.
In three of UAB's four games this season, they have trailed by double-digits.

ANDY KENNEDY
"Our issue was an inability to execute offensively consistently. We got Butta going and Yaxel had moments in the second half, but we are just not finishing plays that we should finish. Our execution is just failing us."

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