The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Southern Miss
UAB Falls In Last Second To Southern Miss, 82-80
2/4/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb 4, 2003
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Jasper Johnson hit a 15-foot jumper from the baseline with a tenth of a second left to give Southern Mississippi an 82-80 victory over UAB in double overtime on Tuesday night in Green Coliseum. Johnson scored 20 points and hit a 3-pointer with 4.2 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime tied at 65.
Morris Finley had 27 points to lead all scorers. Finley scored the Blazers' only two field goals in the second overtime. The second was a driving layup that tied the score at 80 with 22 seconds left.
Dante Stiggers had 12 points, all coming in the second half, and nine assists for the Golden Eagles (10-9, 3-5 Conference USA), who snapped a five-game losing streak.
"This was an exciting game for the fans to see, but it was tough on the coaches," UAB head coach Mike Anderson said. "We had a chance to close this game out in regulation, but we just couldn't finish the job. We did not do the things we needed to do in order two win this game. We just have to learn from our mistakes tonight and try and bounce back on Saturday night against Tulane."
In the second overtime, Richard Jones missed two free throws for UAB (12-6, 4-3) with 8 seconds left and Stiggers raced up court and found Johnson free on the right side.
The team's matched baskets in the first overtime with Greg Johnson getting the final one, a jumper with just under a minute left that made it 71-71.
The team's combined for only four field goals in the second overtime - two apiece.
It was Southern Miss' first double overtime game since a win over Virginia Tech in the 1992-93 season. The Blazers last played a two overtime game last season, when they beat South Florida, 83-78, in Bartow Arena.
The Golden Eagles are 9-2 on their home floor. UAB fell to 2-4 on the road.
Gabe Kennedy added 20 points for the Blazers before fouling out early in the second overtime. Demario Eddins and Eric Bush also hit double-digits in scoring with 10 and 11 points, repectively.
Kennedy helped the Blazers take an early lead by scoring eight of their first 10 points. UAB took its biggest lead of the game after a Finley jumper gave the Blazers a 17-7 lead.
The Golden Eagles took their first lead of the game in the waning seconds of the first half as Greg Johnson banked in a 24-foot 3-pointer that made 30-29 at intermission.
Southern Miss kept the momentum early in the second half, ripping off 10 straight points, including six by Stiggers, to take a 40-31 lead.
Gaines converted a three-point play after coming up with a loose ball to give Southern Miss 50-44 lead with 13:11 left
But the Blazers went on a 15-2 capped off when Finley sank a 3-pointer to give UAB a 59-52 lead with 7 minutes left.
UAB led 62-56 with just over two minutes remaining; however, were outscored 9-3 over the final stretch in regulation time.
The Blazers will look to get back in the win column when they face Tulane on Saturday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m. in Bartow Arena.
