BIRMINGHAM – Tavin Lovan scored a game-high 25 points and Tyreek Scott-Grayson added 24 as UAB got back on the winning track after a 76-69 victory over Old Dominion on Friday night at Bartow Arena.
Lovan was 9-for-12 from the field and 7-of-8 from the foul line. Scott-Grayson was 7-of-13 from the field and 9-of-11 from the foul line along with registering six rebounds. Kassim Nicholson grabbed a team-high eight boards for the Blazers who improve to 17-4, 10-3 C-USA.
ODU (11-6, 7-4 C-USA) was led by Kalu Ezikpe with 17 points and eight rebounds.
After a Lovan jumper put UAB up 8-7 early in the 1st half, Scott-Grayson scored the next seven points of the game to give the Blazers a 15-7 lead with 11:57 remaining. UAB would hold the lead until the 4:07 mark when Malik Curry’s and-1 put the Monarchs ahead 25-23. ODU would take the two-point lead into halftime at 32-30.
There would be three ties and three lead changes by the 11:34 mark of the 2nd half. Lovan’s jumper at 11:23 started a 12-1 run that gave UAB a 59-48 lead with 8:29 to play. The Monarchs would make it a two-possession game at 69-65 with 1:10 left after a 3-pointer from A.J. Oliver. However, Scott-Grayson would score the Blazers’ last seven points, making five free throws down the stretch.
“In the second half, we were able to attack early, especially Tavin Lovan and Tyreek Scott-Grayson. Both of those guys were just incredible,” said head coach Andy Kennedy. “We were able to draw some fouls and finish plays which allowed us to set up in our pressure and that was the difference in the game.”
The Blazers forced 20 Monarchs turnovers, resulting in 24 points. UAB outscored ODU 38-32 in the paint and made 20 free throws to Old Dominion’s 12.
The two teams meet again on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. Scott-Grayson and Nicholson will be honored prior to the game as part of the Senior Day ceremony. The game will air on Stadium.
The final home game of the season will be Feb. 22 when UAB hosts Rust College. Tipoff time of 6 p.m. The game will be streamed through CUSA.TV. This is a subscription-based service that offers a variety of packages. Click here to register a new account.
MEN’S BASKETBALL TICKET INFORMATION
Men’s basketball season tickets for the 2021-22 season are on sale now. Current basketball season ticket holders can click here to renew their original 2020-21 seat locations prior to social distancing adjustments. Click here to purchase new 2021-22 season which start as low as $100 with the Blaze’s Corner season ticket.
Fans interested in season tickets can fill out the season ticket request form or contact the UAB Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1 to receive additional information.
As a reminder, due to current social distancing guidelines, men’s basketball single game tickets and walk-up sales are not be available to the public for the remainder of the 2020-21 season.
For more information on the UAB men’s basketball team, follow @UAB_MBB on Twitter and Instagram.
