Blazers Edge Owls in Overtime Nail-Biter at Bartow Arena

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers, with a record of 0-0, secured a hard-fought victory over the Florida Atlantic Owls, who entered the game ranked 20th and with a record of 0-0. The final score read 76-73 in favor of the home team after an intense overtime battle.

At Bartow Arena, the Blazers demonstrated resilience and tactical acumen to overcome a halftime deficit. The first half ended with the Blazers trailing by seven points but they managed to turn things around in the second half by adding thirty-five points to their tally. Their improved performance forced an overtime where they outscored their opponents nine to six.

The Blazers' offensive efforts were underpinned by an impressive fifty-two percent shooting from inside the arc and an overall field goal percentage of forty-four percent. They also excelled at free throws, making eighty-two percent of their attempts which contributed significantly to their narrow win margin.

Defensively, UAB showcased superior shot-blocking abilities with seven blocks compared to FAU's two. This defensive prowess was complemented by thirty-one defensive rebounds which helped limit second-chance opportunities for the Owls.

Despite committing more turnovers than FAU (fifteen against nine), UAB maintained better ball distribution as evidenced by sixteen assists leading to key baskets throughout the game. Their assist-to-turnover ratio stood at 1.23 while FAU's was slightly higher at 1.33.

The Owls put up a valiant effort as well; they capitalized on fast breaks scoring sixteen points and dominated second-chance points with twenty-one compared to UAB's fourteen. Their three-point shooting was also noteworthy as they hit ten out of twenty-eight attempts resulting in a thirty-six percent success rate from beyond the arc.

In terms of individual contributions for FAU, players stepped up across various statistical categories including steals where they accumulated ten and total rebounds grabbing forty-five boards throughout the contest.

As fans look forward to future matchups, attention now turns towards UAB Blazers' next challenge on February 11th when they face off against Tulsa Golden Hurricane at Donald W. Reynolds Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma scheduled for 1:00 PM Central Time Zone (CT). Fans can catch all live action via ESPN+ internet broadcast network ensuring not a moment is missed from this anticipated encounter.