SAN ANTONIO — Jeromie Hill registered his 15th career double-double with a game-high 20 points and 10 rebounds, but it was not enough, as UAB scored a 65-57 victory at UTSA on Saturday afternoon at the Convocation Center.
Hill went 8-of-19 from the field and hit three 3-pointers en route to his fifth 20-plus point game of the season for the Roadrunners (10-10, 4-5 C-USA). Kaj-Björn Sherman was the only other player in double figures for UTSA, which shot 38 percent in the contest, with 13 points and seven boards.
Meanwhile, Denzell Watts came off the bench to lead the Blazers (11-11, 7-2 C-USA) with a career-high 17 points and Chris Cokley added 10 points and seven rebounds. UAB shot 37.9 percent and got 37 points from its bench.
UTSA got off to a hot start by hitting three of its first four shots for an early 9-2 lead. Hill got the scoring started with a layup and jumper, while Keon Lewis made a pair of free throws and drained a 3-pointer for the cushion.
In all, the Roadrunners hit eight of their first 10 shots, including a stretch of five consecutive makes for their largest lead of the half, 24-13, with 9:35 before intermission. Hill started the stretch with a triple and layup before a Lewis basket inside. Ryan Bowie knocked in a 17-footer and Sherman went to the left hand for a hook shot inside to cap the spurt.
However, UTSA went cold and the Blazers responded with a 12-0 run to take their first lead of the contest, 25-24.
Lewis and Hill slowed the UAB momentum with a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer, respectively, but the Blazers closed the period on an 8-0 run to grab a 33-29 advantage at halftime.
Neither team shot well in the second half, but the Blazers were able to extend to 42-34 with 13:54 remaining on Tyler Madison’s jumper.
Sherman hit a free throw before Christian Wilson’s tip in and another basket from the 7-footer pulled UTSA within 44-39 with 12:36 on the clock, but the Roadrunners would get no closer.
The Blazers followed with an 11-2 run for their largest advantage of the game, 55-41, before the Roadrunners started to chip away at the deficit.
Bowie’s 3-pointer with 4:09 to go pulled the home squad within 58-50 and Hill’s triple with just more than a minute to play again made it a five-point game, 60-55.
However, the Blazers hit five free throws in the final minute to seal the 65-57 final.
UTSA will be back in action on Thursday, Feb. 5, when it travels to FIU (9-10, 2-4 C-USA) for a 6:30 p.m. (CT) matchup.