The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
La Salle
UAB Defeats LaSalle In UAB Classic
11/25/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 25, 2000
BIRMINGHAM - Junior guard P.J. Arnold led four UAB players in double figures with 25 points and senior guard LeAndrew Bass scored all of his 12 points in the second half as the Blazers (2-0) pulled away from LaSalle (2-2) for a 73-62 victory Saturday evening at Bartow Arena.
Arnold split his scoring almost evenly, with 12 in the first half and 13 in the second, and keyed a 16-6 Blazer run over an eight-minute stretch midway through the second period that saw UAB erase a five-point LaSalle lead at 43-38 with 15:16 to play and take a 59-49 lead with 6:19 remaining. Arnold scored eight of UAB's points during that stretch.
Forward Eric Batchelor had 10 of his 12 points in the first half. Center Will Campbell had a "double-double" with 10 points and 15 rebounds.
LaSalle forward Victor Thomas led all scorers with 27 points and also had a "double-double" with 10 rebounds. Thomas was joined in double figures by center Rasual Butler with 16 points and Julian Blanks with 10 points. The Explorers played the entire second half without the services of starting guard Rasheed Quadri, who sprained his ankle late in the first period.
There were four lead changes in the first half, the last at the 7:06 mark as UAB took a 21-19 lead on a three-pointer by center Igor Nikolic. UAB built a seven-point lead at 30-23 with 2:10 to play in the half and held a 33-31 lead at intermission. LaSalle's biggest lead of the first half was four points, 16-12 with 9:50 remaining.
The lead changed hands four times in the second half, with UAB taking the lead for good at 46-43 with 12:31 to play on a three-pointer by Arnold. The Blazers built a 15-point at 65-50 with 4:13 remaining and cruised to an 11-point win.
"It was a good win for us, a win we needed against a good Atlantic 10 team in LaSalle,' said UAB Head Coach Murry Bartow.
" We were very concerned with Thomas and Butler coming in, Blanks as well. I thought we rebounded the ball well. In the second half some guys stepped up for us. Will Campbell had15 big rebounds, so we did some good things. I thought playing with three 'bigs' a good bit in the second half on that back line of that zone with Igor (Nikolic), David Walker and Will Campbell really helped us in the second half. LeAndrew Bass had a great second half. He really stepped up, like a good senior leader will do. He made some big, big plays. Obviously, P.J. Arnold stepped up and made some big plays. It was a good team effort. Defensively, I thought the zone really helped us, especially in the second half. Holding them to 62 points, they have been averaging about 73, 74 a game and for them to shoot only 39 percent we are pretty pleased with that."
LaSalle coach Speedy Morris said the Explorers felt the absence of Quadri in the second half.
"We got worn down," he said.
"Our guard was down after half time. We lost our big kid coming out here. We lost our guard at half time. We were just lacking depth. We have to give them credit, they played a really good game. 43 to 30 rebounding, that was the story of the game right there, which's what lost the game. At half time it was a two-rebound difference. We normal shoot at least fifty percent and tonight we only shot forty percent."
UAB returns to action on Dec. 8 vs. Murray State at Bartow Arena (tipoff 7:00 pm).
