The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Southern Mississippi
Blazers Fall in Overtime, 57-55
1/20/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 20, 2007
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - Jeremy Wise hit a driving layup in heavy traffic with one second left in overtime to give Southern Mississippi a 57-55 victory over UAB on Saturday.
Wise, one of four freshmen in the Southern Mississippi 8-man rotation, led all scorers with 22 points. Sai'Quon Stone added 12 points for the Golden Eagles (12-5, 2-2 CUSA). Southern Mississippi snapped a 4-game losing streak to UAB.
"I thought we did everything you could ask for," UAB head coach Mike Davis said. "You couldn't ask for more than 30 free throws. We just have to make some free throws and have to make open shots. I thought we did a good job of getting to the free throw line and a good job on our spacing out there."
Paul Delaney III scored 19 points and grabbed 9 rebounds to lead UAB (10-9, 2-3). Lawrence Kinnard and Wen Mukubu added 13 points each for the Blazers.
The loss broke a 19-game home winning streak for UAB. The school record home streak remains 20 games. UAB's record in overtime games this season fell to 3-1.
A running floater by Wise gave Southern Mississippi a 50-48 lead heading into the final minute of regulation. Delaney hit two freethrows to tie it 50-50, with 22.8 seconds left.
A 5-second call on Wise gave UAB a chance to win it. But Delaney missed a 20-foot jumper at the buzzer, sending the game into overtime.
Wise's driving basket gave Southern Mississippi a 55-52 lead midway through the extra period.
But Frank Holmes dunked on an offensive rebound to bring UAB to within one point. Holmes hit the second of two freethrows with 30.2 seconds left to tie the game and set up Wise's game-winning shot.
"We've got to get better," Davis continued. "We've got to find out what we do well. We spent a lot of extra time on free throws yesterday. We've got to find something that we can say this is what our basketball team can do, and then go out and do it and win some games."
Davis and the Blazers will have a week off before travelling to Greenville, N.C. to take on the East Carolina Pirates on Saturday, Jan. 27, at 7 p.m. ET.
