BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- UAB improved to 10-0 at home with an 87-59 win over UTSA men's basketball on Saturday afternoon, in the Conference USA opener for the Roadrunners, at Bartow Arena.
UTSA (6-7, 0-1 C-USA) saw UAB (12-3, 2-0 C-USA) improve to 10-0 at home in 2021-22 with the conference win over UTSA. The Blazers used an 11-2 margin in offensive rebounds in the opening minutes of the game to fuel an early lead and built on an 18-point halftime lead in the first three minutes of the final period.
Jacob Germany, a native of Kingston, Okla., had a career-high 26 points, his second game of the year and the third of his career with 20 or more points. He added 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the year and the eighth of his career.
Jordan Ivy-Curry finished with nine points, while UTSA got six points and four rebounds from Aleu Aleu in his first career start. Darius McNeill chipped in nine points.
UTSA shot 35 percent in the game, while UAB shot 49 percent. UTSA was 2 of 15 from 3-point range, with UAB finishing 10 of 21. UAB held a 45-33 margin in total rebounds.
KJ Buffen had 20 points and nine rebounds to lead the Blazers. Jordan Walker had 19 points and three rebounds.
UTSA will return to action on Monday, hosting Dallas Christian at 7 p.m. at the Convocation Center. Admission is free and the game will be broadcast live on CUSA TV and Ticket 760 AM.
Ivy-Curry opened the scoring with a deep 3-pointer but UAB scored the next nine points, including free throws from Quan Jackson, a transfer from Georgia Southern, and Walker, a transfer from Tulane, and four points from Tavin Lovan.
Aleu cut into the lead with two at the line but Walker's wing 3-pointer took the lead to 12-5. Germany got on the board after an Aleu drive and dish but Walker answered with a 3-pointer and Buffen, a transfer from Ole Miss, followed with a basket. Germany's 17 foot jumper cut the lead to 17-9 but UAB got a Buffen basket off the offensive glass and a Lovan lay-up in transition for a 21-9 lead with 13:34 left in the first half.
Lachlan Bofinger put in a basket out of the timeout on a nice drive and kick from Christian Tucker to cut the lead to 21-11 and Germany's hook shot narrowed the lead to 21-13 with just over 11 minutes left. Ivy-Curry kept the UTSA run going with a wing 3-pointer to cut the lead to 21-16. Tony Toney's corner 3-pointer gave UAB back a 24-16 lead with 10 minutes left in the first.
A transfer from ULM, Michael Ertel stretched the lead to 29-17 with a corner 3-pointer after UAB crashed the offensive glass. The lead grew to 34-19 after a fifth 3-pointer from the Blazers, this time from Jamal Johnson, the Auburn transfer. A 3-pointer from Walker stretched the lead to 37-21, allowing UAB to pull away in the first half. At the final media timeout of the half, UAB owned a 42-25 lead and Josh LeBlanc, a transfer from LSU, took the lead to 44-25 out of the break. After the lead grew to 19 with a minute left, Germany narrowed the margin with an and-1. At the half, UAB owned a 49-31 lead, shooting 44 percent and holding UTSA to a 38-percent clip. UAB owned a 24-16 lead in rebounds.
UAB took the lead to 28 in the opening minutes of the final stanza, a margin UTSA couldn't overcome.
- UTSA -
