SAN ANTONIO – UAB scored the first 10 points of each half and used their strong starts to post a 64-57 win over UTSA men's basketball, on Friday night at the Convocation Center.
UTSA (12-10, 8-7 Conference USA) couldn't overcome the sluggish starts out of the locker room in each period as UAB (19-5, 11-4 C-USA) scored the first 10 points in the first and second halves to build early leads that UTSA was forced to chase throughout the 40 minutes.
The Roadrunners rallied with a 13-1 run that helped them take a one-point lead at halftime 28-27, but the Blazers opened the second with a 38-27 lead. UTSA cut the lead to 48-45 but it was as close as the Roadrunners could get as the Blazers were able to finish off the win.
UTSA's 17 turnovers led to 16 UAB points as the Blazers owned a 42-30 advantage in points scored in the paint. UTSA won the rebounding battle 41-37.
The Roadrunners were led by senior guard Keaton Wallace, playing on his birthday. Wallace, a native of Dallas, Texas, had his third career double-double and his first since his sophomore season. He finished with 21 points and a career-high 13 rebounds.
UTSA also got 13 points from Jacob Germany, who added six rebounds, and 12 points and three boards from Jhivvan Jackson, who played most of the second half with four fouls.
UAB was paced by a 19-point outing from Quan Jackson.
The Roadrunners shot 38 percent in the loss, while UAB shot 41 percent, including 48 percent in the second half.
The series will conclude on Saturday at 3 p.m. on ESPN+ and Ticket 760 AM.
The game opened with four UTSA turnovers, four missed shots and 10 straight points from UAB, prompting an early timeout from Coach Steve Henson. Germany hit one at the line and finished a post move to cut the lead to 10-3 at the first media break.
UTSA's run continued to 8-0 to crawl back into it, with Jackson's steal and Fastbreak finger-roll layup cutting the lead to 10-5 and Wallace drilling a corner 3-pointer. After a UAB free throw, Cedrick Alley Jr. drilled a wing 3-pointer to even the game and give UTSA an 11-1 run.
Germany finished an open look in the paint to stretch the run to 13-1 before Michael Ertel snapped the streak with an executed and-1, with the Blazers taking a 16-13 lead. Germany's hook cut the lead to one but UAB responded with a bucket. Ivy-Curry evened the game heading into the under-eight minute media break with a corner 3-pointer.
Jackson answered a UAB and-1 with his first three of the game, a wing piece, before UAB took the lead at 23-21. Eric Parrish finished a floater at the elbow to even it at 23 but the Blazers regained the lead at 25-23 after an Ertel take to the rim.
Wallace diced through traffic with the euro step to even it at 25 and after a UAB basket, Germany flushed a second-chance bucket for a 27-27 game. Parrish hit the first of two at the line for a 30-29 lead with 30 seconds left in the period, with Alley swatting away the final shot of the half from the Blazers. UTSA shot 34 percent in the half, while UAB shot 35 percent. Germany led all scorers with nine points.
The second half started in the same manner as the first, with UAB scoring the first 10 points of the frame on a trio of UTSA turnovers, building the lead to 37-28 before a UTSA timeout with 17:47 left in regulation.
UTSA started to claw back after a Wallace dunk, with Wallace adding a jumper – after a UAB bucket – and Jackson finishing a transition layup to cut the lead to 39-34.
The lead grew to double figures at 44-34 and 46-36 before Wallace sank a midrange jumper and drilled a transition 3-pointer from the wing, cutting the lead to 46-41 with 11:14 left.
Wallace's dunk answered a UAB bucket and Alley sank an elbow jumper to cut the lead to 48-45 with 7:49 left.
The lead grew to 53-46 before a Germany slam. Wallace answered a UAB bucket with a wing 3-pointer off the dribble, narrowing the UAB advantage to 55-51 with 3:42 left.
Ertel's one-on-on basket and his 3-pointer sandwiched a Jackson basket, giving UAB a 60-53 lead.
Germany's bucket in the paint cut the lead to 60-55 with 59.3 seconds left. The Blazers were able to extend their lead in the closing minute, finishing off the win.
- UTSA -
