The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Square Off with Seattle Sunday Night
12/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Seattle (3-5) vs. UAB (5-3)
7:00 p.m. CST | Birmingham, Ala. | Bartow Arena
Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio | Game Notes
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Having won its last 12 home games dating back to last season, the UAB men’s basketball team hosts Seattle University Sunday at 7 p.m. from Bartow Arena.
Blazer fans can catch all the action by listening live to David Crane, “The Voice of the Blazers,” and Steve Mitchell on the flagship station for UAB men’s basketball, WZRR-FM 99.5 Nash Icon.
Fans in attendance will also be treated to a short praise and worship service at the beginning of halftime to coincide with Faith and Family Night. Current c.b.f. Ministries pastor and former UAB football student-athlete Jhun Cook will lead the performance.
Before taking a week off for final exams, UAB (5-3) picked up its second straight road win Dec. 5 with a 74-61 victory at Illinois State. Chris Cokley scored a game-high 20 points and leads UAB with 15.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Additionally, Cokley is shooting 62.8 percent from the field and ranks 21st in the NCAA in field goal percentage.
Junior wing Dirk Williams poured in a career-high 16 points and hit four three-pointers against the Redbirds and is averaging 13.0 points and 6.5 rebounds over his last two games.
Defensively, sophomore forward William Lee blocked one shot at Illinois State and stands 10th in the nation with 2.9 rejections per game. Lee ranks 11th all-time at UAB with 74 career blocks and is only eight shy of moving into the top 10. As a team, the Blazers average 6.4 swats per game and rank 13th in the NCAA.
Seattle (3-5) snapped a two-game losing skid Dec. 6 with an 84-72 home victory over Mississippi Valley State. The Redhawks are 0-2 on the road this season with losses at Eastern Washington (Nov. 18) and California (Dec. 1).
Junior guard Brendan Westendorf paces Seattle with 13.0 points and 5.3 assists per game, while senior center Jack Crook adds 12.9 points and a team-best 7.6 rebounds per game.
UAB and Seattle will face off for the first time when the two school tip off Sunday evening. It’s also only the second time in school history that UAB has faced a team from the Western Athletic Conference. The Blazers’ only other matchup against a WAC opponent was an 80-60 victory over UMKC in 1982.
The Conference USA Men's and Women's Basketball Championships are set to return to Birmingham for the second consecutive year, marking the third time the Blazers will host the event. The men's tournament, as well as the women's semifinals and championship, will be played at Legacy Arena in downtown Birmingham, while the women's first round and quarterfinal action will take place at UAB's Bartow Arena.
UAB ticket mini plans are now on sale and in high demand. The Holiday 3-Pointer includes games against Hiwassee College (Dec. 22), 2015 NCAA Tournament participant Stephen F. Austin (Dec. 29) and the Blazer's Conference USA home opener against Middle Tennessee (Jan 3). Lower level seats can be purchased for $36 ($60 value), or $24 in the upper level ($45 value). The Conference USA Season Pass is available for $119 in the lower level, (a savings of over $60) and only $79 in the upper level, ($56 off the regular price).
For more information on UAB men’s basketball, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_MBB), on Instagram (@blazerhoops) or on Facebook (Facebook.com/UABMensBasketball). For more on all Blazer sports teams follow the official social media accounts of UAB Athletics on Twitter (@UABAthletics), on Facebook (Facebook.com/UAB.Blazers), on Instagram (@uabathletics) or on Snapchat (@uabathletics).
