The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Marshall
Blazers Win On Senior Day, Topping Marshall 70-52
3/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 7, 2009
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Senior guard Paul Delaney III scored a game-high 17 points to lead four Blazers in double figures as UAB cruised to a 70-52 victory over Marshall on Senior Day at Bartow Arena. With the victory, UAB clinched the No. 3 seed and a first round bye in the upcoming C-USA Championship.
"I am really proud of these guys," UAB head coach Mike Davis said. "It takes a special person to play basketball and I just can't say enough good things about them. The crowd gave the seniors a standing ovation that they deserved. We appreciate the fans and all their support throughout the year."
Delaney scored 11 of his 17 points in the second half, including hitting 7-of-7 from the charity stripe over the final 20 minutess in the last regular-season game for both teams. Senior Robert Vaden collected 14 points and eight rebounds, while junior Howard Crawford added 13 points and six rebounds. Senior Channing Toney chipped in with 12 points for the Blazers, who finished the regular season with a 21-10 overall record and 11-5 mark in league play.
In all, UAB's five seniors contributed 49 of its 70 points on the night.
The Blazers, who won eight of their last 10 games, held a slim four-point lead at the half, 28-24. The opening 20 minutes was a tight ball game that featured eight lead changes and three ties.
However, the Blazers broke the game open with a 14-2 run to take a commanding 58-40 lead with 6:04 left. The Thundering Herd (15-16, 7-9) could get no closer than 15 the rest of the way, snapping their three-game winning streak.
UAB, which leads the league in field-goal percentage (46.1 percent), shot 46.2 percent from the field (24-of-52), but only 3-of-17 from beyond the arc. Marshall shot 31.6 percent (18-of-57) from the floor and connected on only 3-of-20 three-point shots. UAB also owned a 41-31 advantage on the boards.
Tirrell Baines led the Thundering Herd with 15 points and Darryl Merthie added 13.
UAB will face the winner of the No. 6 and No. 11 opening round game on Thursday. The time will be determined at a later time.
