Blazers Fall at Home to No. 18 Memphis

Sunday, March 2

Birmingham, Ala.

3 p.m.

UAB

19-10,12-4AAC

Memphis

24-5,14-2AAC

Memphis

UAB

Photo by: Ken Shepherd

Blazers Fall at Home to No. 18 Memphis

3/2/2025 7:28:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Postgame Presser

BIRMINGHAM – UAB men's basketball (19-10, 12-4 AAC) fell at home to No. 18 Memphis (24-5, 14-2 AAC) on Sunday afternoon by a score of 88-81. The Blazers led by as many as 11 points in the first half but could not hold on down the stretch.

Memphis led 6-3 at the first media timeout after a slow start offensively for both teams, but the scoring picked up shortly thereafter.

Yaxel Lendeborg gave UAB its first lead of the game with a dunk and free throw to put the Blazers ahead 8-6.

UAB went on an 8-0 run to take a 20-10 lead in the early stages after forcing numerous Memphis turnovers. Alejandro Vasquez capped the run by getting to the rim for a layup.

The Blazers took their largest lead of the night at 30-19 with 5:32 remaining in the first half as Christian Coleman crashed the offensive boards for a putback. The Tigers did not go away, however, scoring the next eight points to cut the margin to a single possession by the 3:51 mark.

Ja'Borri McGhee capped a strong finish to the half by the Blazers with a three-point play at the 25 second mark to give UAB a 42-36 lead at the half.

Memphis came out of the locker room on fire on the offensive end in the second half, taking the lead within the first three minutes. Ja'Borri McGhee then sparked the Blazers' offense in the second half, scoring eight of the Blazers' nine points during a 9-2 run that put UAB ahead 65-56 with 11:59 to go.

The Tigers once again battled back and were able to take the lead with 7:52 remaining as PJ Haggerty heated up on the offensive end. He went on a solo 7-0 run to put the Tigers up by four points with six minutes remaining.

UAB then went just 1-for-4 on the next two possessions from the free throw line and Memphis was able to score back-to-back buckets to push the Tiger lead to seven at the 2:09 mark. Memphis was able to close it out in the final minutes to earn the 88-81 win in Birmingham.

NOTES

Ja'Borri McGhee scored a team high 22 points and added five assists while shooting 7-for-10 from the field and 4-for-4 from three.
Christian Coleman finished with 14 points and nine rebounds for the Blazers.
Bradley Ezewiro scored 12 points while shooting 5-for-7 from the field.
Alejandro Vasquez surpassed 1,000 points in his collegiate career.
UAB has been outrebounded by a double-digit margin in two-consecutive games for the first time since the final two games of the 2015-16 season.

UP NEXT
The Blazers will host Florida Atlantic on Thursday at 6 p.m. CT at Bartow Arena for Senior Night.

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
As we launch into the 2025 giving year, we encourage you to further your support across UAB Athletics and help the Blazers reach new heights in the American Athletic Conference. For more information on ways to show your generosity to Blazer student athletes through the Blazer Scholarship Fund, capital initiatives, and sport specific giving go to blazerboosters.com or call us at (205) 996-9969.

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