The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Falls To Western Kentucky, 92-76
11/29/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 29, 2005
Birmingham, Ala. -- (http://www.wkusports.com/) Courtney Lee scored 21 of his career-best 31 points in the second half Tuesday to lead Western Kentucky University to a 92-76 non-conference men's basketball victory over UAB at Bartow Arena.
In the first meeting between the two schools in seven years, Anthony Winchester added 25 points and Ty Rogers 12 as the Hilltoppers (3-1) tied a school record with 15 three-point field goals. Demario Eddins led three players in double digits scoring for the Blazers (2-1).
WKU shot 58.5 percent from the field, making 17-of-25 (68 percent) attempts after the break, which included a 15-of-23 (65.2 percent) performance behind the three-point arc. The Toppers also converted 15-of-17 (88.2 percent) shots at the free-throw line -- Lee made all 10 of his tries -- while outrebounding UAB, 36-24.
Lee, who was 9-of-16 from the floor, added six rebounds and five steals in 28 minutes. Winchester shot 9-of-12 overall, hitting 4-of-5 from three-point range, while posting four boards and three assists. Elgrace Wilborn finished with a season-high 11 rebounds, and Orlando Mendez-Valdez collected eight points and three assists.
The Hilltoppers broke open a close game with a 12-0 run midway through the second half, with Lee scoring seven points and Winchester adding five as WKU led 64-55 with just under nine minutes remaining. After a three from Rogers at 8:16 extended the lead to 11, 67-56, the Blazers would cut their deficit to single digits just once, when Eddins converted a three-point play with 3:39 left that made the score 78-69.
WKU responded by scoring nine of the next 10 points for an 86-70 advantage with 1:38 to go. Lee sank six foul shots in the final three-plus minutes, while Rogers and Winchester supplied a three-pointer each.
Paul Delaney had 12 points and Marvett McDonald added 10 for UAB, which shot 45.6 percent overall -- the Blazers made just 4-of-18 attempts beyond the three-point arc -- and 57.1 percent at the foul line. Brandon Tobias had a team-best five rebounds, while Carldell Johnson posted seven points, five assists, four boards and four steals.
The Blazers forced 27 Hilltopper turnovers, but WKU was charged with just two over the final 12-plus minutes.
The Toppers led virtually the entire first half, although there were three ties and a pair of lead changes in the opening 20 minutes. WKU held a four-point lead on two occasions early, and was up 14-9 with 12:52 left after a three-pointer from Lee. The Blazers used a 7-2 run to take their first lead, 17-16 at 9:08, when Delaney made 1-of-2 free throws.
Delaney would end the half with eight points on 3-of-3 shooting.
WKU regained control, though, as Winchester's three-point play capped a 9-3 run, leaving the Hilltoppers ahead 25-20 with 7:40 left. Mike Walker's layup gave WKU a 28-23 lead at 5:29, while a Winchester trey 35 seconds later put the Toppers up 31-26.
A three from Rogers -- WKU would hit 6-of-11 from beyond the arc in the first half -- gave the Hilltoppers a 34-30 edge with 3:22 remaining, but they would score one field goal, on a dunk from Wilborn, the rest of the way. The Blazers pulled even at the break as Delaney scored five points over the final 3:51, including a three-point play eight seconds before the half that made the score 36-36.
UAB scored the first five points out of the locker room for its largest lead, 41-36, after Wen Mukubu converted 1-of-2 free-throw attempts at 18:55. But Rogers and Joemal Campbell connected on back-to-back three-pointers in a one-minute, four-second span as the Toppers regained the lead, 42-41.
There were then four lead changes and a tie before two Lee free throws put WKU ahead, 52-49, with 13:47 to go. Mukubu scored four points and Delaney added a pair of free throws in the next 1:22 as the Blazers regained the lead for the final time.
Courtesy of http://www.wkusports.com/
