The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Charlotte
Blazers Fall To Charlotte, 78-58
1/14/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Demon Brown hit a school-record nine 3-pointers and scored a career-high 32 points to lead Charlotte to a 78-58 victory over UAB on Tuesday night.
"Demon Brown really shot the ball well tonight and hurt us," UAB head coach Mike Anderson said. "We had some turnovers in some inopportune times.We just didn't make the plays that we have been making in the other games and we just struggled tonight."
Charlotte (7-7, 2-1 Conference USA) had been 0-4 on the road this season and had lost six road games in a row dating back to last season. But the 49ers jumped to a 37-29 halftime lead and pulled away after UAB closed to within three points in the second half.
UAB (10-4, 2-1) was coming off back-to-back conference road wins over South Florida and Houston. But the Blazers shot only 37 percent from the field and Morris Finley, the second-leading scorer in Conference USA, was held to 12 points, well below his 18.5 average.
Finley hit a jumper, a layup and a free throw to help UAB close to within 48-45 with 12:11 left in the game.
But Charlotte's Eddie Basden drove for a layup and hit a free throw to finish a three-point play that turned the game back in the 49ers' favor. Basden's clutch play sparked an 18-2 run that put Charlotte in front 66-47 with 7:48 left.
Brown hit three 3-pointers during Charlotte's decisive run. His nine 3-pointers left him one short of the Conference USA single-game record, set by Cincinnati's Melvin Levett in 1997.
Basden scored a career-high 15 points for Charlotte and added a game-high seven rebounds. Reserve center Calvin Clemmons added 12 points for the 49ers.
UAB could get no closer than 15 points down the stretch. Jeffrey Collins scored 16 points to lead the Blazers.
The Blazers will attempt to get back into the win column when they play host to C-USA rival Southern Miss on Saturday, January 18, at 7 p.m. The game will be carried live on AM-1070 with Gary Sanders and Matt Coulter calling the game.
