Balanced Blazer Scoring Leads UAB to 100-58 Win Over MVSU

Wednesday, December 22

Bartow Arena

6:30 p.m.

UAB

-103,00 CUSA

100

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE

0-10,0-0SWAC

Mississippi Val.

UAB

100

Photo by: Ken Shepherd

Balanced Blazer Scoring Leads UAB to 100-58 Win Over MVSU

12/22/2021 10:02:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Postgame Press Conference

BIRMINGHAM – A dominant second half propelled the UAB men's basketball team to a 100-58 victory over Mississippi Valley State on Wednesday night in Bartow Arena.

The Blazers (10-3) doubled up the Delta Devils 60-30 in the game's final 20 minutes, shooting an efficient 52.6% from the field in the second half. Six Blazers, highlighted by Jordan Walker's 14 points, reached double figures in the 42-point victory.

"We got to No. 10, which was the goal," head coach Andy Kennedy said. "It was good the way we ended the game.

"A lot of guys felt good seeing the ball go in the basket."

Forward KJ Buffen posted his third double-double of December behind 13 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Buffen has tallied three double-doubles in his past six games and now is tied with junior center Trey Jemison for the team-lead in the category.

Faced with an early 15-7 deficit in the first half, UAB forward Josh LeBlanc, Sr. jumpstarted a 15-3 UAB run with a jumper to turn the Blazers' eight-point deficit into a 22-18 lead with 7:13 remaining in the first half.

Mississippi Valley State (0-10) tied the game once again at 22-22 with 6:33 remaining in the first half, but the Blazers closed the half on an 18-6 run behind sharpshooting from behind the arc from guards Jamal Johnson and Justin Brown. Brown, who surpassed 1,000 points for his career with 12 points in Wednesday's win, drilled back-to-back 3-pointers to extend UAB's lead to 40-28 at halftime.

The Blazers never allowed the Delta Devils to cut their deficit to single digits in the second half, extending their lead to 25 points after Walker knocked down his second 3-pointer of the night to make it 65-40 UAB 11:15 remaining in the contest.

UAB also received contributions late from AD Diedhiou and Elijah Tate in the game's closing minutes. Diedhiou worked hard on the offensive glass to grab an offensive board and then finish with a layup. Tate helped the Blazers reach 100 points for the third time during the regular season with a 3-pointer with 22 seconds remaining in UAB's final nonconference matchup of the 2021-22 regular season.

The Blazers concluded their nonconference slate 10-3, posting a perfect 8-0 record in Bartow Arena in nonconference action. UAB has won all eight of its games in Bartow this season by at least 14 points.

Michael Ertel (13), Johnson (12), Brown (12) and LeBlanc, Sr. (10) rounded out the group of six UAB players to reach double figures in scoring in Wednesday night's win. UAB shot a blistering 60% (12-of-20) from behind the 3-point line in the victory.

Following a short holiday break, UAB will open Conference USA play when UTEP arrives in Birmingham for the C-USA opener on Dec. 30. Tipoff in Bartow Arena is set for 6:30 p.m. and will stream live on CUSA.tv.

MEN'S BASKETBALL TICKET INFORMATION
UAB men's basketball single-game tickets at Bartow Arena start as low as $12 and can be purchased by clicking here or calling the UAB Athletics Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1.

Discounted group tickets and fan experiences are available for a minimum purchase of 15 tickets to any home basketball game during the 2021-22 season. Groups are encouraged to complete the UAB Basketball Group Ticket Request Form or call the UAB Athletics Ticket Office for more information.