Clash at Murphy Athletic Center: UAB Blazers vs Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
As the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers prepare to face off against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Murphy Athletic Center, fans are eager to see if their team can maintain their recent momentum. The UAB Blazers have shown a mixed bag of performances in their last few outings, but there's reason to believe they could come out on top in this upcoming game.
On January 14, the Blazers secured an 81-74 victory over Louisiana Tech Bulldogs with a strong second-half performance where they scored 47 points. Their ability to turn up the heat after halftime has been a recurring theme and could be pivotal against MTU. The team's resilience is evident from their impressive rebounding numbers, grabbing 44 rebounds in that game alone.
However, it wasn't all smooth sailing for UAB; despite winning, they shot just 37 percent from the field and committed 28 personal fouls. These are areas that need tightening up if they want to ensure victory against MTU. On a positive note, their three-point shooting was solid at around 41 percent made shots from beyond the arc.
Looking back further to January 12 against Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, even though it was a close shave with a two-point deficit ending in a loss (78-80), UAB showed tenacity by tying up the game seven times and changing leads on twelve occasions. They'll need that same fighting spirit when facing MTU's defense.
The Blazers' offensive prowess was also on display during an overtime thriller on January 8 versus Florida International Panthers where they scored an impressive total of 87 points but fell short by just three points in overtime. Their high-scoring nature will be crucial as they go head-to-head with MTU.
MTU is not to be underestimated though; any lapse in defensive focus from UAB could give them opportunities to capitalize on turnovers or fast breaks – something that has hurt the Blazers before as seen when they turned over the ball nineteen times against FIU.
With these past performances as indicators, it seems likely that if UAB can control personal fouls and maintain strong rebounding while capitalizing on their scoring abilities inside and outside of paint – particularly later in games – there’s every chance for them to emerge victorious at Murphy Athletic Center.
Fans should mark their calendars for this exciting matchup scheduled for January 17th at local time (9:00 PM EST). The game will take place at Murphy Athletic Center located in Murfreesboro TN and will be broadcasted nationally on CBS Sports Network channel number two hundred twenty-one for those who wish to follow along live.