BIRMINGHAM – All 12 Blazers contributed to the scoring effort as the UAB offense put on an offensive display to a crowd of almost 2,000 with a 94-55 victory over UTSA Thursday morning at Bartow Arena. The win was the fifth straight for the Blazers who have outscored their opponents by an average of 19.4 points in the last five games.
UAB knocked down 16 threes in the game half of which came from Rachael Childress and Lea Kerstein who each had four. Five Blazers scored double figures for the second game in a row as Miyah Barnes led the Green and Gold with 16 followed by 15 from Kerstein, 12 from Childress, and 11 apiece from Trista Magee and Imani Johnson.
UAB (14-7, 6-3 C-USA) started the game on a 9-2 run with five straight points from Johnson and three triples in a row, two from Magee and one from Childress. Whitley and Barnes each tallied a three as the Blazers recorded five in the first quarter to lead 25-10 after 10 minutes of play.
The hot hands continued in the second quarter as the Blazers drained six more threes with three from Childress, two from Kerstein and one each from Magee and Barnes. Childress’ fourth three of the game marked the 392nd of her career which moved her into the top-10 all time in NCAA history. UAB closed the half leading 52-26 after an 11-0 scoring run.
UTSA (6-13, 2-6 C-USA) was held without a basket for the first four minutes of the third quarter as UAB opened with seven straight points. After a few baskets from the Roadrunners the Blazers jumped out on a 17-1 run to lead by 45 points. Kerstein added two more threes and the Blazers scored nine points from the charity stripe in the third. UTSA scored just 10 points and UAB took the 78-36 lead into the final 10 minutes of play.
Jasmine Gracie, Audrey Jordan and Sam Mitchell each recorded a basket in the fourth quarter to total 12 different Blazers with points on the scoreboard. Kerstein knocked down the team’s 16th three of the game with 3:37 remaining to give UAB a 47-point lead over the UTSA. The Roadrunners scored the last eight points of the game but the Green and Gold walked away with the 94-55 victory.
“First, we want to thank all the schools who came out for Education Day today to cheer us on,” said head coach Randy Norton. “I was pleased from top to bottom with our team today. I think they played well for 40 minutes and came out with a lot of energy, really locked in. Our bench play was outstanding, Lea came in and did what we all know she is capable of doing, it felt like every shot she took went in.”
UAB shot 49.2 percent from the field and 45.7 percent from beyond the arc in the game. The Blazers had 39 bench points with a season high 10 steals. Sara Rosenfeldt pulled in a team-high nine rebounds while Angela Vendrell finished with seven boards and three blocks. Kerstein tied a career high with four triples and recorded her season best 15 points in just 14 minutes of play.
The Blazers host UTEP Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. for National Girls and Women in Sports Day. There will be clinics held on the court after the game from different UAB women’s sports teams and a scrunchie give-away to a limited number of fans at entry.
Secure your women’s basketball season tickets by purchasing the 2019-20 Gold Card for $65 here. The Gold Card is an exclusive offer that grants you admission into all women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, baseball and softball events for the upcoming academic year. Contact the UAB Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1 for more details.
For more information on the UAB women’s basketball team, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_WBB) and Instagram (UAB_WBBall).
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