BIRMINGHAM – UAB had an excellent defensive performance in its 61-50 victory over Marshall on Saturday night at Bartow Arena. The Blazers held the Thundering Herd to just 33 percent shooting and dominated the glass, holding a 48-29 rebound margin.
Makhtar Gueye led UAB (11-6, 2-2 C-USA) with a season-high 15 points. Tavin Lovan added 11 points and Tyreek Scott-Grayson pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds.
Taevion Kinsey led all scorers with 20 points for Marshall (8-9, 2-2 C-USA).
After the Thundering Herd opened up the first half scoring, UAB responded with a 10-0 run. Marshall answered with a 16-3 run over the 4:48 to take an 18-13 lead at the 8:47 mark. The Herd would build a five point lead twice, with the later coming at 6:24. The Blazers ended the half with a Gueye jumper that tied the contest at 24.24.
The Blazers started the second half with a Gueye basket and led the rest of the way. A 10-0 run put UAB ahead 40-28 at 12:08. They would continue to add to the lead as a foul shot by Scott-Grayson gave the Blazers its largest lead of the game – 14 points at 45-31 at the midway point of the half.
“We played a really gutsy second half on many levels. We had some of the best defensive stretches in this building since I’ve been here,” said head coach Robert Ehsan.
“Our offensive rebounding was a huge tonight. We talked about getting at least 10 o-boards in order to win, so that was key. Everybody contributed on the glass.”
The Blazers finished with 14 offensive rebounds from eight different players, led by Lovan with four.
“Mak had a great game tonight. Every night, you are seeing a different guy step up. Tamell Pearson had an underrated and phenomenal game tonight. The strength of our team is its balance”
In addition to getting seven rebounds, Gueye made seven field goals, which one short of tying his career-high (also vs. Marshall). Pearson recorded seven points and seven rebounds in 19 minutes.
Up next, UAB travels to Florida to take on FIU on Jan. 16 followed by Florida Atlantic on Jan. 18. The Blazers return home on Jan. 23 to host Southern Miss followed by La. Tech on Jan. 25.
Single game tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by clicking here or by calling the UAB Athletics Ticket Office at 205-975-UAB1. Discounted group tickets and fan experiences are available for a minimum purchase of 20 tickets. To inquire about group tickets for the 2019-20 season, please contact Chris Curtis at (205) 934-3172 or ccurtis2@uab.edu.
Along with single game and group tickets which are already on sale, fans now have the option to purchase a four-game mini plan which offers the flexibility of attending any four Conference USA games at Bartow Arena for only $40 in the upper level (Promo code: FAMILY). The C-USA Pick 4 Mini Plan can be purchased by clicking here or by calling the UAB Athletics Ticket Office at 205-975-UAB1.
