BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Roadrunner guard Japhet Medor turned in his third 20+ point performance of his career on Saturday night but it wasn't enough as preseason-favorite UAB beat UTSA 90-67 at the Bartow Arena.
UTSA (6-8, 0-3 C-USA) was unable to overcome a 13-0 first-half run by the Blazers as it dropped its second straight C-USA road game. UAB (12-2, 3-0 C-USA) was able to extend its winning streak to five in a row as it rode 31 points from 2021-22 C-USA Player of the Year, Jordan "Jelly" Walker.
Outside of Medor's strong performance, both DJ Richards and John Buggs III each turned in double-figure outings for the Roadrunners. Medor finished with a team-high 21 points and six assists to go along with two rebounds. Richards finished with 14 points and three rebounds to go along with a 6-7 performance from the free throw line. Buggs chipped in 12 points of his own, canning three triples. Jacob Germany finished with nine points and seven rebounds while Massal Diouf also finished with seven boards, a career high.
The Rundown
UTSA and UAB traded early blows, heading into the first media break knotted up at seven apiece. Then, powered by six-straight points by Walker, UAB was able to pull ahead 17-11 at the under-12 media timeout. Another Blazer run, this time an 11-4 spurt, gave UAB a 13-point lead at 28-14. UAB continued its torrid shooting, ending the half up by 23, 52-29. The Blazers shot 50% from the field and 46.2% from deep to power its first-half performance. On the flip side, the Blazer defense clamped down on UTSA, holding the Roadrunners to just 30.8% shooting from the floor. Medor led all Roadrunners with nine points at the break while Walker had a game-high 17.
The Blazers were able to carry their first-half momentum into the early second half, extending their lead to the largest of the game, 25 points. Thanks to a barrage of threes, UTSA began chipping away at the UAB lead, cutting it all the way down to 14. The Roadrunners had just two three-pointers in the first half and turned it up in the second half, knocking down seven. UAB weathered the long-ball barrage though, reestablishing its control and going back up by 20 as it would go on to win 90-67.
Stat of the Game
UAB was able to assist on 63% of their baskets today, setting each other up on 19 of its 30 made shots. Five different Blazers had multiple assists and Gaines led the way with seven assists.
Up Next
After its first road C-USA road trip, UTSA will be back in action next Thursday, Jan. 5, when it welcomes Middle Tennessee to the Convocation Center. Next Thursday's game is set to tip off at 7 p.m. and the game will be streamed on ESPN+ as well as broadcast on Ticket 760 AM.
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