The No.1-seeded UAB Blazers challenge the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in the third round of the CUSA tournament at Legacy Arena. Action begins at 1:00 pm ET on Thursday, Mar. 10.
The Blazers played well in their last game, barely hanging on to beat Florida Atlantic 73-70 in their last matchup. Robert Brown was the game’s leading scorer with 17 points on 5-for-13 shooting. The Hilltoppers, meanwhile, are coming off an 84-76 win against North Texas in the 2. Justin Johnson claimed his ninth double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Aaron Cosby has upped his play for the Hilltoppers, averaging 20.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 3.6 three-pointers over the past five games.
Both teams have won a game in the season series. The Blazers had the upper hand in the most recent game, a close 71-67 win. Johnson put up a double-double in the victory with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Notes
Ranked 38th, the UAB Blazers have an offensive rating of 113.5. The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers rank 124th with a defensive rating of just 108.5.
On average, UAB has 69.6 possessions per game and scores 1.135 points on each possession. Western Kentucky has both fewer possessions (69.4) and scores fewer points during those possessions (1.105).
Western Kentucky has an average effective field goal percentage of 52.6%. UAB is a superb 7-2 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
The UAB Blazers average 19.0 three point attempts per game, while the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers attempt 18.0. When attempting 20 or more three pointers in a game, UAB has a formidable record of 14-4, while Western Kentucky is an even 7-7.
The 19th-ranked team in the category, UAB has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.47 this season. Western Kentucky ranks outside the top 100 at 196th with an A/TO of 1.01.
UAB ranks 58th in rebounds per game with 38.8 and Western Kentucky ranks 60th with 38.8 rebounds per game.
UAB ranks 34th in defensive rebounding. When it comes to offensive rebounds, Western Kentucky ranks 79th.
On average, Western Kentucky forces a turnover rate of 16.0%. When UAB turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a fantastic 18-5 record.
