The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Tulane
Men's Basketball Edged By Tulane, 75-72
1/25/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan 25, 2003
NEW ORLEANS, La. ----- Marcus Kinzer hit four free throws in the final minute to seal a 75-72 victory for Tulane over UAB here Saturday in Conference USA action. The loss drops the Blazers to 11-5 overall and 3-2 in C-USA, while Tulane improves to 8-10 and 1-4 in conference play.
Gabe Kennedy led all scorers with a career-high 21 points in the losing effort. Kennedy also made 7-of-10 free throws and had six rebounds. Mo Finley added 15 and hit 6-of-7 from the free throw line, while Jeff Collins and Demario Eddins each scored double digits with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Brandon Brown led Tulane with 16 points on 8-of-15 shooting. Brown also had eight rebounds and three blocked shots. Wayne Tinsley had 15 points, a season high, on 7-of-7 shooting and Ivan Pjevcevic, making his first career start, added 12 points and 12 rebounds, his first double-double.
At the break, Tulane led 37-31 on 51.7 percent shooting from the field for the half. However, the Blazers went on a 9-0 run at the end of the first half and start of the second to make it 37-36 with 17:27 to go.
Brown answered with eight straight points for Tulane to make it 46-36 with 14:08 left. UAB responded with a 10-2 run as Collins made a pair of 3-pointers, cutting the Green Wave lead to 50-49.
Nick Sinville made six of his free throw attempts over the next three minutes to give Tulane a six-point, 60-54, advantage.
The Blazers fought back to tie it at 64 with 3:35 remaining on a Kennedy layup. But Tulane held on behind senior Brandon Spann who sunk two free throws and hit a 3-pointer to make it 71-65. Kinzer cemented the victory with his four free throws.
Tulane had a considerable advantage in the second half, attempting 21 free throws compared to UAB's 13 attempts. The Green Wave connected on 15-of-21 free throws in the second half, including 14 of its last 16.
The Blazers will attempt to rebound from the loss when they host the Horned Frogs of TCU on Wednesday, January 29, at 7 p.m. in Bartow Arena.
