BIRMINGHAM – UAB women’s basketball dropped the first of two games against travel partner Middle Tennessee 62-52 at Bartow Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Miyah Barnes led UAB with 13 points while dishing out two assists including the 500th of her career, making her one of three Blazers with 1,000 points and 500 assists in a career. Childress added 10 points and moved into fifth place in UAB scoring history with 1,717 points.
Middle Tennessee (17-8, 9-4 C-USA) opened the game with the first four points from Anastasia Hayes. The two sides traded baskets until Zakyia Weathersby led the Blazers on a 6-2 run to give UAB a narrow lead. The Blue Raiders answered with a 5-0 run of their own and after a fast paced first quarter it looked like the game would turn into a shootout. Both squads shot over 45 percent in the first 10 minutes with Middle Tennessee leading 21-18.
UAB (16-9, 8-5 C-USA) cooled off in the second quarter going scoreless for almost seven minutes after an initial three by Trista Magee. The Blazers were held to a season low eight points in the second quarter and went into halftime trailing by 10.
The Blazers came out fresh in the third quarter shooting 55.6 percent from the field and knocking down seven free throws. UAB outscored the Blue Raiders 19-15 in the quarter and narrow the deficit to six.
UAB came within six points again in the fourth quarter after a three from Barnes but struggled to find the bottom of the net, scoring a season low seven points in the last 10 minutes. The Blazers went 2-15 from the field in the final frame.
“I thought our effort was there today and I am proud of the fight,” said head coach Randy Norton. “We have to do a better job of keeping them off the glass and taking care of the ball. At this point in the season you learn from the mistakes and then prepare for the next game. That is what we will do moving forward from today.”
Four different Blue Raiders scored double figures with 17 points from Anastasia Hayes, 13 from Charity Savage, 12 from Aislynn Hayes and 11 from Courtney Whitson. Middle Tennessee outscored UAB 22-14 in the paint and tallied 16 points off turnovers.
The Blazers will have another chance at the Blue Raiders as they travel to Murfreesboro Thursday. UAB will face Middle Tennessee Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. at the Murphy Center.
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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