The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Takes On SEC Foe Georgia On Friday Night
12/2/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 2, 2010
Game Notes vs. Georgia
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -The UAB men's basketball team will continue its stretch of four games in seven days when it travels to take on the Georgia Bulldogs on Friday night at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT). The contest will be televised by FOX Sports South, with Chip Caray and Larry Conley on the call.
GAME INFORMATION
Dec. 3, 2010 • 7 pm ET • Athens, Ga. • Stegeman Coliseum (10,523)
RADIO (Flagship WUHT 107.7 FM): Blazer Sports Network
David Crane (play-by-play), Steve Mitchell (analyst) and Jon Gentile (engineer)
TV: FOX Sports South: Chip Caray (play-by-play) and Larry Conley (analyst)
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TONIGHT’S GAME
• Today’s contest marks the fourth meeting in series history between UAB and Georgia, but it will be the first time the two teams have met in Athens, Ga. The Bulldogs own a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series, but it was the Blazers who pulled out a 72-56 victory a year ago in Birmingham, Ala.
• UAB senior guard Aaron Johnson comes into Wednesday’s contest leading the country in assists per game (9.0). Johnson has now tied the single-season school record for double-digit assist games with four (set by Jack Kramer in 1990-91). Johnson now has seven such contests in his career, two shy of Kramer’s career mark of nine (1988-91).
• The Blazers have won six of their first seven games to start a season in back-to-back campaigns (2009-10 and 2010-11). It marks the first time since 1992-93 and 1993-94 that a UAB team has started with a 6-1 mark in consecutive seasons.
• Head coach Mike Davis has a record of 4-1 during his UAB tenure when playing an SEC opponent. Davis’ lone loss to an SEC school came in his first season (2006-07) when UAB lost to eventual national champion Florida (75-70) on Dec. 30, 2006. He has won four straight games over SEC competition, including a 72-56 win over Georgia in Bartow Arena last year (11/21/09).
BLAZING BITS
• The Blazers are proving to be a second-half team this season. Through seven games, UAB is averaging 41.6 points in the second half, compared to 31.1 points over the opening 20 minutes.
• UAB is now in the midst of its 33rd season of basketball during the 2010-11 campaign. The Blazers have had much success on the hardwood, boasting an overall program record of 649-376 (.633) – an average of over 20 wins per season (20.1).
• Over the past four seasons (2007-pr.), UAB has an impressive record of 76-33 (.697). Coming into this year, the Blazers had collected 70 wins over the previous three seasons (2007-10), which averaged out to 23.3 wins a year over the last three years. The 70 victories is the best three-year stretch in terms of number of victories since winning 71 games from 1984-87 (71-31).
About UAB
• UAB is in middle of a four-game stretch over seven days, which began with a pair of victories – a 78-57 win at Troy on Monday night and a 59-53 home triumph over Jacksonville State on Wednesday. The Blazers will close the stretch with Georgia tonight, followed by a home game on Sunday against Kent State.
• With the victory over the Gamecocks, UAB has started the season at 6-1. It marks the second consecutive campaign that Mike Davis has led the Blazers to wins in six of their first seven games. The last time UAB started two-straight seasons at 6-1 came nearly 20 years ago in the 1992-93 and 1993-94 campaigns.
• Senior point guard Aaron Johnson leads the nation with an average of 9.0 assists per game. Johnson has racked up 63 assists and only 23 turnovers this season. He is also contributing 9.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals per contest.
• UAB junior Cameron Moore leads the team in scoring and rebounding. Furthermore, his 18.4 points a game rank third in C-USA, while his 9.3 rebounds per contest are second-best in the league. He is also third in the conference in field goal percentage (.600).
• Senior Jamarr Sanders is second on the team with 15.3 ppg, while also averaging 5.4 rpg. He leads the Blazers with 16 three-pointers made.
• With Wedensday’s win, head coach Mike Davis improved to 91-49 (.650) during his five seasons at UAB, including a 76-33 (.697) mark over his last four years alone (including the 2010-11 season).
About Georgia
• Georgia comes into Friday night’s contest sporting an overall record of 4-2 on the season.The Bulldogs are coming off a 61-58 win over Manhattan on Nov. 28 in the final game of the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla. Georgia lost its previous two games in the tournament to Notre Dame (L, 89-83 in overtime on Nov. 25) and Temple (L, 65-58 on Nov. 26).
• The Bulldogs are led by junior guard Travis Leslie, who averages team-highs in both points (17.3 ppg) and rebounds (8.7 rpg). Junior guard Gerald Robinson is second on the team with 15.8 ppg and leads the Bulldogs with 5.3 assists a contest, while senior forward Jeremy Price contributes 10.8 points and 5.2 rebounds a game.
• Junior forward Trey Thompkins, the SEC Preseason Player of the Year, has returned from an early-season ankle injury. He has now played in three games this season, and is averaging 14.7 points and 7.3 rebounds a contest
• As a team, Georgia is outscoring the opposition by 0.5 points (69.7-69.2) and outrebounding foes by 3.0 boards a game (37.2-34.2). The Bulldogs are shooting a stellar .445 from the field; however have struggled from the three-point line (.286) and charity stripe (.624) this year. Meanwhile, the opposition is shooting .424 from the field and .422 from beyond the arc.
• Head coach Mark Fox is now in his second season at the helm of the Georgia program and own an overall record of 18-19 (.486). During his six seasons as a head coach, Fox owns a record of 141-62 (.694).
Notes From Last Game
• UAB held off Jacksonville State for a hard-fought 59-53 victory on Wedensday night. It marked the fifth consecutive win in series history for the Blazers.
• Cameron Moore (25) and Aaron Johnson (18) combined to score 43 of UAB’s 59 points in the contest, including teaming up to score the Blazers’ first 23 points of the game.
• UAB won the game in the paint, outscoring Jacksonville State, 34-16, en route to the victory. Moore led the charge with a career-high 25 points and three blocked shots.
• UAB was outrebounded, 36-31, on the night, included a 16-5 deficit on the offensive glass. However, the Gamecocks only had a 12-8 edge in second-chance points despite the advantage.
UAB-Georgia: A Year Ago
• UAB defeated Georgia, 72-56, back on Nov. 21, 2009 in Bartow Arena. It was the first win for the Blazers over the Bulldogs (1-2).
• Former Blazer Howard Crawford scored 17 of his career-high 21 points in the second half. Jamarr Sanders had a then-career-best 16 points, as the Blazers earned their first victory over an SEC team at Bartow Arena since they defeated Auburn, 64-57, on Nov. 22, 1996.
• Dustin Ware led Georgia with 17 points and Jeremy Price added 13. Trey Thompkins, who entered the game averaging a team-best 19.5 points and 14.0 rebounds per game, managed only four points on 2-for-11 shooting and four rebounds.
Who’s Hot?
• Cameron Moore - Recorded a career-high 25 points to go along with seven boards and three blocked shots in the win over Jacksonville State ... Scored 10 straight and 14 of his team’s first 23 points to begin the game ... Recorded his team-leading fourth double-double of the year with 16 points and 10 boards at Troy ... Is the only player on this year’s team to record double-figures in every contest.
• Aaron Johnson - Leads the nation in assists per game at 9.0 ... Collected season-highs in points (18) and rebounds (7) in the win over Jacksonville State ... Also leads the team in steals (11) and charges taken (12).
C-USA Player Of The Week
• UAB’s Ovie Soko earned his first career Conference USA Player of the Week award, which was announced by the league office on Monday. Soko, a sophomore forward, averaged 18.0 points and 8.0 rebounds a game in helping lead the Blazers to wins over South Alabama at home and Arkansas in Little Rock, Ark. last week.
• Against the Jaguars on Nov. 23, Soko recorded career highs in points (19), rebounds (8) and blocked shots (5) to help lead UAB to a 24-point victory (82-58). The London, England native was equally good in helping the Blazers to a 70-65 overtime win against the Razorbacks on Friday. In that contest, Soko recorded 17 points, tied his career-high with eight boards and set a career-best with 41 minutes played. He also recorded a career-best four dunks in the victory.
• In the overtime period alone, Soko, who scored 13 of his 17 points after the intermission, made his only basket, went 3-for-3 from the line and recorded a team-best five points and three rebounds as the Blazers outscored the Razorbacks, 13-8.
Can I Assist You?
• With 63 assists this year, senior point guard Aaron Johnson leads the nation with 9.0 assists per game, and leads second-place Demetri McCamey of Illinois (7.8 apg) by more than an assist a game.
• With four double-digit assist games this season, Johnson has tied a single-season school record, set back in 1990-91 by former great Jack Kramer. Additionally, his seven career double-figure assist contests is two shy of matching the current record of nine such contests in a career, also held by Kramer (1988-91).
• Johnson became the first player in school history to record three consecutive double-digit assist games. He had 10 assists at MTSU (11/17), 12 at Arizona State (11/20) and 10 vs. South Alabama (11/23).
• The Chicago, Ill. native is also making his mark on the defensive end of the floor. A member of the C-USA All-Defensive team a year ago, Johnson leads the team with 11 steals and 12 charges drawn this year.
We Want “Moore”
• Junior Cameron Moore is off to a sensational start this year, leading the team in scoring (18.4 points) and rebounding (9.3) entering the Georgia game.
• The San Antonio, Texas native collected a career-best 25 points in the win over Jacksonville State. This coming after his league-leading fourth double-double this season, and fifth of his career, with 16 points and 10 rebounds Monday night at Troy.
• Entering this year, Moore had just three double-figure scoring contests. However, he enters tonight’s game as the only Blazer to have scored double figures in all six games this season.
• Moore is not doing all his damage inside the paint, as he also has connected on 11-of-16 (.688) from beyond the arc this season.
Triple Double-Double
• Jamarr Sanders (23 points, 10 rebounds), Cameron Moore (16 pts, 10 reb) and Ovie Soko (10 pts, 13 reb) each recorded double-doubles in UAB’s win over Troy Monday night.
• It marks just the second time in school history that three players have achieved the feat in the same game.
• The only other time it occurred came on Feb. 8, 2007, when Frank Holmes (14 pts, 10 reb), Wen Mukubu (12 pts, 10 reb) and Lawrence Kinnard (10 pts, 12 reb) each had a double-double in a 72-56 loss to Memphis.
Securing The Perimeter
• The Blazers lead Conference USA in three-point field goal percentage defense, checking in at .252 (32-of-127) for the year.
• In the five games since allowing Southeast Missouri State to shoot 7-of-15 from three in the season-opening win, UAB has held the opposition to just 25-of-112 (.223) from beyond the arc.
Another Overtime Win
• With the overtime victory vs. Arkansas last Friday, UAB improved to 8-4 in such contests under head coach Mike Davis.
• The Blazers now own a record of 31-21 in overtime contests in program history.
Second Half Sensation
• Over his last five games, senior Jamarr Sanders has been red hot in the second half.
• During that stretch, Sanders has averaged 1.8 points during the opening 20 minutes, going 6-for-21 (.286) from the floor and 2-for-12 (.167) from beyond the arc. However, over the last 20 minutes, he is averaging 12.8 points, connecting on 23-of-44 (.523) from the field and 11-of-20 (.550) treys.
• All but 18 of Sanders’ 80 points over UAB’s last five contests have been scored in the second half.
Jacking Up The Threes
• UAB has attempted 152 three-pointers on the season. That number averages out to 21.7 three-point attempts a game.
• The Blazers have a distinct advantage in three-pointers made a game. UAB has made 56-of-152 treys this season (.368), while the opposition has made just 32-of-127 threes (.252) this year.
Home Sweet Home
• UAB’s Bartow Arena has always been a tough place for opponents to play, but that has been even more true over the past four seasons. Over that time, the Blazers have been nearly unbeatable, compiling a record of 44-6 (.880) at home.
• With 59-53 win over Jacksonville State on Wednesday, UAB stretched its regular-season home win streak against non-conference opponents to 34 consecutive games.
• The last time the Blazers dropped a non-league regular-season game on their home floor was on Nov. 29, 2005 when UAB fell to Western Kentucky, 92-76.
• Even more impressive is the fact that UAB head coach Mike Davis has never lost a regular-season non-conference home contest during his five-year tenure in Birmingham. He is 28-0 in non-conference games played during the regular season at Bartow Arena.
