UAB Falls in OT at UC Irvine

Wednesday, March 26

Irvine, Calif.

8 p.m.

UAB

24-13,13-5AAC

UC Irvine

31-6,17-3Big West

OT 1

UAB

UC Irvine

UAB Falls in OT at UC Irvine

3/26/2025 11:37:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

IRVINE, Calif. – UAB men's basketball (24-13) fell on the road at UC Irvine (31-6) in overtime by a score of 81-77. Christian Coleman led the Blazers with 21 points and a career high 14 rebounds.

The Blazers jumped out to an early 11-3 lead over the first five minutes as Christian Coleman scored nine of UAB's 11 points to open the game. The Anteaters responded with an 8-2 run to close the gap right away, making it a two-point game.

UAB was able to build its lead out to seven points late in the first half as Coleman reached 15 points before the break. Yaxel Lendeborg knocked down a three to put UAB ahead 36-29 with less than two minutes to go in the half. In the final moments before the buzzer, UCI was able to get a tip-in to cut the deficit to 36-31 going into the locker room.

After an early burst by UCI, the Blazers were able to again push their lead out to seven points as an alley-oop to Ja'Borri McGhee made it 44-37 with 15:29 remaining. However, the Anteaters responded with an immediate 10-0 run to take their first lead since the early stages.

For the final 10 minutes of regulation, the teams remained within one possession of one another, trading leads back-and-forth. With just over one minute remaining, Efrem "Butta" Johnson knocked down a three to make it 67-64 in favor of UAB, but Myles Che responded with a triple of his own moments later to tie it back up.

Yaxel Lendeborg went 2-for-2 from the free throw line on the next possession before a UCI bucket tied it right back up with 17 seconds to go. The Blazers were then called for a travel with three seconds remaining, but UCI was unable to score in the final moments to send the game into overtime at 69-69.

The Anteaters struck first in OT, but Alejandro Vasquez was able to keep UAB within striking distance. Christian Coleman gave UAB its first lead of overtime with a tip in at the 2:16 mark to make it 75-74. Ja'Borri McGhee hit a jumper with 1:33 remaining to put UAB up by three, but UCI quickly knocked down a three to tie it at 77.

Bent Leuchten gave UCI the lead with 31 seconds remaining with a short hook shot in the lane. The Blazers then missed on the ensuing possession, but UCI turned the ball over right away to give UAB another chance. The Blazers were again unable to score, and UCI hit a pair of free throws to ice the game at 81-77.

NOTES

Christian Coleman scored 21 points for the second straight game while grabbing a career best 14 boards.
Yaxel Lendeborg recorded his nation-leading 26^th double-double of the season with 13 points, 17 rebounds and four assists.
Alejandro Vasquez added 14 points while shooting 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
Lendeborg's 2024-25 season is one of the most statistically impressive in program history. He finishes with 654 points (7^th most), 420 rebounds (1^st), 157 assists, 66 blocks (11^th), and 64 steals.
Lendeborg's 790 rebounds rank fifth in program history in only two seasons.

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