The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics

Photo by: Brenley Sanders
Lendeborg’s Double-Double Leads UAB Past UTSA
1/21/2025 10:37:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BIRMINGHAM – UAB Men's Basketball (12-7, 5-1 AAC) won its fifth-straight game on Tuesday night as the Blazers downed UTSA (8-10, 2-4 AAC) by a score of 81-78.
Yaxel Lendeborg scored 24 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, dished out seven assists and blocked three shots in the win.
UAB opened the game with a three-point play by Ja'Borri McGhee to take the early lead and used a 9-0 run to take an early 16-5 advantage over the Roadrunners.
UTSA was able to keep itself within arm's reach of the Blazers throughout the night with its three-point shooting. The Roadrunners shot 13-for-34 from beyond the arc on the night with half of their field goal attempts coming from three.
The Blazers held a six-point lead at 38-32 at the half despite shooting only 34.2 percent from the field.
Damari Monsato came out of the locker room red-hot for the Roadrunners, hitting four of his first five attempts from three after the break. To cut the margin to just four points at 54-50 with 13:25 remaining.
Lendeborg took over for the Blazers on the offensive end in the second half, scoring 15 of his 24 points, including a stretch where he scored on three-straight possessions.
The Roadrunners cut the Blazers' lead to just one point with 22 seconds remaining as Primo Spears reached 27 points on the night. Alejandro Vasquez was able to hit both of his free throws with just 11 seconds left to push the lead to 81-78 and the Blazers were able to get the stop on the final possession as Christian Coleman blocked the game-tying three-point attempt.
NOTES
UP NEXT
The Blazers will travel to Memphis on Sunday to take on the Tigers. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. CT on ESPN2.
GROUP RATES AND FAN EXPERIENCE PACKAGES NOW AVAILABLE
Individual and corporate groups can plan an unforgettable experience during any of UAB's home events at Bartow Arena this season by filling out the UAB Basketball Group Ticket Request Form. Fan experience packages and discounted group tickets are available for a minimum purchase of 15 tickets, and fan experiences at Bartow Arena are available at any home basketball game on a first come, first served basis throughout the season.
Group ticket packages provide your family, friends, or company the opportunity to save money on the single game ticket price while providing access to memorable fan experiences at Bartow Arena. Discounted group rates are available for both men's and women's basketball games and pricing is based on the size of the pre-purchased group. This season, UAB Athletics is offering unique fan experiences for groups including a spirit tunnel, sideline warm-up watch, group photo at center court, post-game free throws, and videoboard recognition, among others. Click here for a complete listing of the group rates, group benefits, and fan experience packages offered.
BLAZER BOOSTERS
Blazer Nation, thank you for your continued generosity in providing the best experience for Blazer student-athletes as they strive to Win Championships, Graduate with Honors and Make a Difference in the Birmingham community. Each gift received plays a significant role in the growth of UAB Athletics. As we launch the 2025 giving year, go to Blazerboosters.com to explore more opportunities to impact Blazer student-athletes or to start your 2025 support.
FOLLOW THE BLAZERS
For more information on the UAB men's basketball team, follow @UAB_MBB on Twitter and Instagram.
Yaxel Lendeborg scored 24 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, dished out seven assists and blocked three shots in the win.
UAB opened the game with a three-point play by Ja'Borri McGhee to take the early lead and used a 9-0 run to take an early 16-5 advantage over the Roadrunners.
UTSA was able to keep itself within arm's reach of the Blazers throughout the night with its three-point shooting. The Roadrunners shot 13-for-34 from beyond the arc on the night with half of their field goal attempts coming from three.
The Blazers held a six-point lead at 38-32 at the half despite shooting only 34.2 percent from the field.
Damari Monsato came out of the locker room red-hot for the Roadrunners, hitting four of his first five attempts from three after the break. To cut the margin to just four points at 54-50 with 13:25 remaining.
Lendeborg took over for the Blazers on the offensive end in the second half, scoring 15 of his 24 points, including a stretch where he scored on three-straight possessions.
The Roadrunners cut the Blazers' lead to just one point with 22 seconds remaining as Primo Spears reached 27 points on the night. Alejandro Vasquez was able to hit both of his free throws with just 11 seconds left to push the lead to 81-78 and the Blazers were able to get the stop on the final possession as Christian Coleman blocked the game-tying three-point attempt.
NOTES
- The Blazers have won five straight games since January 4.
- UAB's 5-1 start to conference play is its best since the 2021-22 season.
- Yaxel Lendeborg recorded his 11th double-double of the season with 24 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks.
- Lendeborg is the second Blazer to reach 30 career double-doubles. He trails only Carlos Williams, who finished his career with 35.
- Christian Coleman added 14 points, nine rebounds and matched his career high of four blocks.
- The Blazers hit a season-high 26 free throws.
- UAB has scored over 80 points in five-straight games for the first time since opening the 2022-23 season with seven-straight games of 80+ points.
- The Blazers are 12-3 when they score at least 80 points this season.
UP NEXT
The Blazers will travel to Memphis on Sunday to take on the Tigers. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. CT on ESPN2.
GROUP RATES AND FAN EXPERIENCE PACKAGES NOW AVAILABLE
Individual and corporate groups can plan an unforgettable experience during any of UAB's home events at Bartow Arena this season by filling out the UAB Basketball Group Ticket Request Form. Fan experience packages and discounted group tickets are available for a minimum purchase of 15 tickets, and fan experiences at Bartow Arena are available at any home basketball game on a first come, first served basis throughout the season.
Group ticket packages provide your family, friends, or company the opportunity to save money on the single game ticket price while providing access to memorable fan experiences at Bartow Arena. Discounted group rates are available for both men's and women's basketball games and pricing is based on the size of the pre-purchased group. This season, UAB Athletics is offering unique fan experiences for groups including a spirit tunnel, sideline warm-up watch, group photo at center court, post-game free throws, and videoboard recognition, among others. Click here for a complete listing of the group rates, group benefits, and fan experience packages offered.
BLAZER BOOSTERS
Blazer Nation, thank you for your continued generosity in providing the best experience for Blazer student-athletes as they strive to Win Championships, Graduate with Honors and Make a Difference in the Birmingham community. Each gift received plays a significant role in the growth of UAB Athletics. As we launch the 2025 giving year, go to Blazerboosters.com to explore more opportunities to impact Blazer student-athletes or to start your 2025 support.
FOLLOW THE BLAZERS
For more information on the UAB men's basketball team, follow @UAB_MBB on Twitter and Instagram.
Team Stats
UTSA
UAB
FG%
.397
.426
3FG%
.382
.176
FT%
.786
.867
RB
32
47
TO
5
9
STL
5
3
Game Leaders
Scoring
Players Mentioned
Coffee with Coach | 2025 Week 4
Wednesday, September 03
Coffee with Coach | 2025 Week 3
Wednesday, September 03
Coffee with Coach | 2025 Week 2
Tuesday, September 02
UAB Football Postgame Press Conference | Alabama State
Friday, August 29