Blazers Narrowly Miss Victory at Bartow Arena Against Hilltoppers in Conference Game
In a closely contested conference game at Bartow Arena, the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers fell just short against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers with a final score of 80-78. The Blazers now hold a record of 0-1, while the Hilltoppers move to 1-0.
The match was characterized by its competitive nature, with the lead changing hands 12 times and the score tied on seven occasions. The Blazers showcased their defensive skills with six blocks and matched their opponents with seven steals each. Offensively, they managed to out-rebound Western Kentucky by securing 44 rebounds to their opponent's 30.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham displayed a balanced attack throughout the game. They shot an impressive 48 percent from two-point range and contributed significantly in points from inside the paint with a total of 32. Despite trailing by two points at halftime, they rallied back in the second half to put up an additional 48 points.
The Blazers' free throw performance was notable as they made it to the line for a total of 28 attempts but converted only about two-thirds of them into points. Their three-point shooting hovered around one-third accuracy, as they made eight out of twenty-three attempts from beyond the arc.
Western Kentucky's offense was led by their field goal shooting which stood slightly higher than that of UAB's at approximately forty-eight percent overall. They were particularly effective from three-point land where they shot an exceptional fifty-three percent making ten out of nineteen shots attempted.
Despite UAB's efforts on both ends of the court, turnovers proved costly for them as they committed fourteen compared to Western Kentucky’s ten turnovers which resulted in thirteen points for their opponents off these mistakes.
Looking ahead, fans can catch The University Of Alabama At Birmingham Blazers' next game against Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on January 14th at Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston LA scheduled for a tip-off time at four PM Central Time Zone broadcasted over STADIUM network online.