The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Men's Basketball Hosts Louisiana Tech Wednesday Night
12/18/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 18, 2001
UAB BLAZERS Game No. 10: December 19, 2001, 7:30 p.m. CST UAB (4-5) vs. Louisiana Tech (5-2) Bartow Arena (8,600) Birmingham, Alabama
TICKETS Tickets are $12 reserved and $8 general admission -Tickets are available at the Bartow Arena ticket office at 975-UAB1 or through SouthTix at 933-1280. Tickets are also available on the web at www.uabsports.com.
UAB BLAZERS UAB is 4-5 after falling at Virginia Commonwealth 82-76. The six points are the largest margin of defeat this season. UAB has won its last three in Birmingham and are outscoring opponents by an average of 19.5 points a game in Birmingham.
P.J. Arnold leads the team, averaging 14.7 points per game. He has averaged 18.3 points over the last three games. Mo Finley failed to score in double figures against VCU for the first time this year. He is averaging 13.6 points a game. Center Will Campbell leads the team in rebounding with 7.8 per game and 10.9 points. Campbell has scored in double figures in six straight games and has two double-doubles.
Head Coach Murry Bartow is in his sixth season as a collegiate head coach with a record of 94-71 (.570). He has led the Blazers to a 42-36 C-USA record the past five years.
UP NEXT UAB hosts travels to Philadelphia for a rematch with LaSalle, Saturday at noon CST.
LOUISIANA TECH The Bulldogs are in their first year in the Western Athletic Conference. They are 5-2 on the year. The two losses were both to teams ranked in the top 25, Iowa 75-67 and Oklahoma, 71-67 in overtime. Tech defeated Auburn 67-66. The Bulldogs beat Centenary 68-48 in their last game.
La. Tech features a three-guard offense that is averaging 79 points per game. Darrian Brooks, who is averaging 15.1 points per game leads the way. Fellow guard Gerrod Henderson is averaging 14.9 points a contest. Marco Cole comes off the bench to score 13.6 points per game. Forward Antonio Meeking is the leading frontcourt threat, scoring 12.8 points ang pulling down 6.7 rebojnds per game. Zach Johnson is the leading rebounder with 7.0 per game.
Head coach Keith Richard is in his fourth season at Louisiana Tech and overall as a collegiate head coach. He has a record of 62-31. Richard has led the Bulldogs to three straight winning seasons, with a best record of 21-8 in 1999-2000.
UP NEXT Louisiana Tech hosts Jackson State, Saturday.
LAST TIME OUT VCU 82, UAB 76 Virginia Commonwealth made 25-of-34 free throws and UAB again tried to rally from a big deficit in taking the loss. The Blazers never led in the game and trailed by asmuch as 17 points in the first hafl and 18 in the second. After allowing VCU to score the first basket of the second half to go up 47-29, the Blazers rallied to cut the margin to four points at 55-51. VCU took the margin back out to 18 points at 75-57 before a late rally. Eric Batchelor led the Blazers with 14 points. Will Campbell and Myron Ransom each recorded a double-double. Campbell had 13 points and 12 rebounds and Ransom had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Willie Taylor led VCU with 25 points and Antoine Willie scored 20. The Rams made 11-of-26 from 3-point range. UAB did outrebound the Rams 49-41, but committed 22 turnovers.
THE LOUISIANA TECH SERIES UAB won the only meeting 97-79 in the championship of the UAB Classic in December of 1988.
UAB IN BARTOW ARENA The Blazers are 2-1 in Bartow Arena this season. They are 154-35 (.815) in their 14th year playing in Bartow. The Blazers were 10-5 at home last year. Overall the Blazers are 288-71 (.802) in Birmingham.
MURRY BARTOW VS. LTU Murry Bartow has never coached against Louisiana Tech or head coach Keith Richard.
VS. THE WAC UAB is 8-8 against teams currently in the Western Athletic Conference. The Blazers have played Hawaii and Tulsa five times and are 3-2 versus Hawaii and 2-3 against Tulsa. UAB is 1-1 against Fresno State, losing on the road 87-67 last year. UAB is 1-0 against Louisiana Tech and Rice and 0-1 versus SMU and UTEP.
FORMER SUN BELT TEAMS Both teams are former members of the Sun Belt Conference. UAB left the Sun Belt to become a charter member of the Great Midwest Conference and then Conference USA. Louisiana Tech entered the Sun Belt after the Blazers had departed. The Bulldogs left the league following last season to join the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).
