BIRMINGHAM – After two big conference home wins last week the UAB women’s basketball team looks to build on the momentum going into a road contest with longstanding rival Southern Miss on Thursday night.
UAB (11-7, 3-3 C-USA) put on one of its best performances of the season last Saturday against Florida Atlantic shooting 55.9 percent from the field and 53.8 percent from three-point range en route to a 92-73 victory. The Blazers knocked down 14 treys as a team moving to No. 1 in the nation in three-point field goal percentage shooting 41.6 percent as a team.
Rachael Childress recorded seven triples against the Owls, just one shy of tying her career high. The senior from Alabama led the Blazers with 23 points off 53.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Center Zakyia Weathersby added 17 points off the bench in just 13 minutes of play including a stretch of eight straight points in the first quarter. Miyah Barnes scored 16 points shooting 66.7 percent from the field and dished out a pair of assists.
Redshirt senior Trista Magee returns home for the first time in her three seasons at UAB. Magee hails from Ellisville, Miss. which is 22 miles north of Hattiesburg. She attended high school at Presbyterian Christian School in Hattiesburg.
Southern Miss (11-5, 3-2 C-USA) is out to one of its best starts in recent years posting a 9-2 record at home going 2-1 in conference play. However, the Golden Eagles are coming off a loss to league leader Rice last Saturday.
Senior Shonte Hailes has been one of the best players in the conference so far averaging 16.4 points per game which ranks fourth in C-USA. Hailes was selected to the C-USA preseason All-Conference team in October and has backed it up with her play shooting 44.3 percent from the field while averaging 3.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
The Golden Eagles force the second most turnovers in the league with 20.1 per game including 10.6 steals per game. However, USM turns the ball over 17.0 times per game on the offensive side.
“Southern Miss is off to a great start this season,” said head coach Randy Norton. “They are a very well coached team that forces a lot of turnovers with their pressure and they hit the glass extremely hard. The keys for our team will be to take care of the ball and limit the second chance opportunities by keeping them off the glass.”
The rivalry between the Blazers and Golden Eagles dates back to 1979 when the two teams met for the first time. Southern Miss controls the series 40-21 but the Blazers claimed the most recent win over USM in 2019 when UAB defeated the Gold Eagles 71-60 at Bartow Arena. Barnes led the Blazers with 23 points and four assists in the win and the Green and Gold held USM to under 40 percent shooting in the game.
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).
# UAB #
