DENTON, Texas – UAB used a 24-8 second half run to spark a comeback win over North Texas on Saturday afternoon in Denton.
The Blazers trailed for over 29 minutes in the game before Rachael Childress sparked the Green and Gold in the third quarter with 11 straight points including three triples. Childress had a near double-double with a team-leading 18 points and nine rebounds. Center Zakyia Weathersby added 10 points with four rebounds and two blocks for the Blazers.
UAB (16-8, 8-4 C-USA) fell behind early after the offense struggled to find a rhythm. The Blazers shot just 28.6 percent in the first quarter and went 0-6 from behind the arc. Despite the struggles UAB only trailed by five after 10 minutes of play.
North Texas (9-14, 3-8 C-USA) scored 22 in the second quarter, 10 of which came from senior center Anisha George who dominated the Blazers in the paint with 18 first-half points. The Mean Green would take a 38-27 lead into the locker room.
The Mean Green scored the first two baskets out of the half forcing UAB to use a timeout. The Blazers came alive after the break as Childress recorded the next 11 points of the game including back-to-back-to-back threes to pull the Blazers within six to end the third quarter.
UAB began the fourth quarter with an 8-0 run taking the first lead of the game at the 7:59 mark off a layup from Weathersby. North Texas tied it up at 50 all with 1:59 left in the game after UAB failed to score for four minutes. With 1:14 remaining Miyah Barnes was sent to the line where she knocked down one free throw to give UAB the 51-50 advantage.
The Blazers turned the ball over with 14.6 seconds remaining giving North Texas a chance to win the game on the final possession. With 0.08 seconds remaining Barnes poked the ball loose from Charlene Shepherd forcing a jump ball with possession going to the Mean Green. Weathersby swatted away the ensuing inbounds pass with 0.02 remaining giving North Texas one more chance, but the Mean Green failed to get off a shot before time expired.
“Definitely a team win today,” said head coach Randy Norton. “On a day when things were not going our way our team showed great resilience and fight to pull out a big win. Games like this will help us down the road.”
George, who had 18 points at the half, was held to just four points in the second half of the game. The Mean Green were 0-for-8 from the charity stripe on the afternoon, while the Blazers went 9-for-11.
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.
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