The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Faces USC In Rainbow Classic Semifinals
12/22/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 22, 2004
HONOLULU, Hawai`i - UAB used its patented pressure defense to rattle ACC-member Clemson and win 78-66 Tuesday night to set up Wednesday's semifinal match up with the USC Trojans in the 41st Annual Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic. The Trojans earned the semifinals spot with a 68-64 victory over Indiana State in Tuesday's late game at the Stan Sheriff Center. Tip-off for UAB-USC is set for 5 p.m. HT/9 p.m. CT Wednesday.
Donell Taylor scored a career-high 26 points for UAB in the win over Clemson. The Blazers dictated the pace and forced a season-high 26 turnovers of their opponents in the win. Ronell Taylor added 13 while Demario Eddins and Marvett McDonald each scored 12 for UAB.
"We dictated the tempo in the second half and got the game into a pace that we like," UAB head coach Mike Anderson said. "When we play our pressure defense and at the pace we like to play, we're a pretty good basketball team."
Donell Taylor upped his team-leading scoring average of 17.1 points per game with the output. The Blazers are forcing opponents into 21.1 turnovers per game and average 12.6 steals per contest. Clemson, which was leading the NCAA with 13.5 steals per game, had two against the Blazers, who committed just 12 turnovers.
Against Clemson, UAB was out-rebounded, 44-22. It is the fourth contest this season the Blazers have been out-done on the boards.
USC has overcome coaching controversy to win three straight ball games. Henry Bibby was fired four games into the season and Jim Saia was elevated to interim head coach. The Trojans announced former Utah head coach Rick Majerus as their new bench boss beginning next season. Majerus resigned this week without ever having begun.
The distractions haven't affected USC's play, though. The Trojans are 3-1 since Bibby's firing and have won three straight. Sophomore Lodrick Stewart averages 14.0 points per game while Gabriel Pruitt (12.0) and Rory O'Neil (10.9) also average double-figures for Southern Cal. Greg Guenther scored 14 points with 10 rebounds to lead USC to a 68-64 win in its first-round game against Indiana State on Tuesday night.
The meeting will be the first-ever between the two schools. The Blazers are 3-4 all-time against Pac 10 teams, however. UAB is 1-0 all-time against Cal, Washington and Washington State, 0-1 against Oregon and Stanford and 0-2 against UCLA. The last time the Blazers met a Pac 10 school, they beat No. 9-seed Washington, 102-100, in the first round of last year's NCAA Tournament.
The game can be heard along the Blazer Radio Network, which can be heard locally in Birmingham on WYDE, 101.1 FM.
UAB Men's Basketball Game Notes in PDF Format
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