01-19-2008, 09:13 AM
The Date
January 19 has not been kind to the Blazers over the years. Eight games have been played on this date and only two of them resulted in victories. The Blazers are 1-3 on the road on this date.
UAB @ Western Kentucky – January 19, 1985
The only time UAB has won on the road on this date occurred in 1985 when the Blazers traveled to Bowling Green, Kentucky to battle Western Kentucky. UAB was 14-4 overall, 3-0 in the Sun Belt Conference, and on a six game winning streak. The Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky had lost their last four games, despite starting out 9-2. A huge crowd of 9800 turned out for this Saturday afternoon CBS regionally televised game.
With 7:48 to play in the game, it appeared that the Blazer win streak was in danger. Western Kentucky had pushed their lead to eleven points and led 57-46. Although the Blazers had led by one point with 16:19 left, but from the 17:33 point to 7:45 point of the second half, UAB had only one field goal, and the Hilltoppers now appeared to be on the way to victory. However, at that point, Steve Mitchell took over. He scored four straight baskets and led the Blazers to tie the game at 64 with under two minutes left in the game. Western Kentucky turned the ball over with 1:05 left and the Blazers had a chance to go ahead. With 27 seconds left in the game, Steve Mitchell’s shot bounced out, but Michael Charles tipped the ball in to give UAB a two point lead, 66-64. The Hilltopper star, Billy Gordon scored quickly and tied the game at 66 with 20 seconds left. With the partisan crowd going ballistic, Coach Gene Bartow called timeout with 17 seconds left.
During the timeout, Bartow told his players not to look for the hot shooting Mitchell or for James Ponder, but to look for the open shot. When the clock started, Steve Mitchell had the ball and dribbled in toward the basket. His defender backed off fearing a dish off. This was the opportunity Mitchell was looking for and he hit the go ahead jumper with four seconds left.
Western Kentucky called timeout with four seconds left. They then made two passes to get the ball to midcourt and called timeout again. Only one second ticked off the clock to the protests of Bartow and the Blazer bench. When the game started again, Billy Gordon’s jumper from the free throw line bounced off the rim, and the Blazers won 68-66.
Steve Mitchell led the Blazers in scoring with 24 points. James Ponder had 14 points. Kannard Johnson led the Hilltoppers with 21 points.
UAB @ Tulane – January 19, 2005
The last game played on this date occurred in 2005 when UAB traveled to New Orleans to take on the Green Wave of Tulane. UAB was 13-5 and Tulane was 7-9. However, tiny Fogelman Arena has always been a difficult and that night was no exception.
Marques Lewis sparked the Blazers to a 1 point lead at halftime, 31-30. Lewis had not missed a shot in the first half and had made 3 for 3 at the line and from the field for nine first half points. However, Tulane opened up a 6-0 run in the second half and took a 60-52 lead with 8:43 to play. Tulane overcame 25 turnovers in the game by shooting 54.5%. Meanwhile the Blazers shot 37.3%. The Blazers made a comeback and took the lead 68-65 on a Donell Taylor jumper with 52 seconds remaining. Tulane’s freshman point guard Taylor Rochestie hit a three point shot over Demario Eddins with 31 seconds to go to tie the game. UAB had a chance to win the game in regulation, but the shot by Squeaky Johnson fell short.
In overtime, UAB jumped out to a 71-68 lead, but Tulane tied the game at 71 with 2:24 left in overtime. The game was tied at 73 with 43.3 seconds to go and UAB worked the clock down. As the shot clock wound down, Squeaky Johnson took a shot that missed everything and UAB turned the ball over on a shot clock violation with 6.7 seconds left. Again, Taylor Rochestie for Tulane performed late game heroics as he drove the length of the court, got past a UAB double team and found himself alone at the top of the key. He shot and hit his three point shot as the buzzer sounded. Tulane won the game 76-73 in overtime. The Blazers was led by Demario Eddins with 18 points. Squeaky Johnson played perhaps his poorest game as a Blazer in his hometown as he went 0-7 from the field and missed the game winner in regulation and overtime. In two trips to Fogelman Arena during his career, Squeaky was 1-18 from the field and never won in his hometown. The Blazers did get revenge later in the year when Squeaky and the Blazers defeated the Green Wave by 29 points in the friendly confines of Bartow Arena.
The Opponent
UAB is 4-3 overall against tonight’s opponent, Marshall. The Blazers have lost two of the last three against Marshall, including a first round loss in last year’s Conference USA tournament.
UAB @ Marshall - December 4, 2004
The Blazers’ first game in Huntingdon against Marshall occurred on December 4, 2004 and was a non conference game for the Blazers. The Thundering Herd joined CUSA for the 2005-06 season. The Blazers were hoping to avenge a shocking two point loss at home to Marshall the previous season.
UAB entered the game at 3-0 and Marshall was 1-3. After three wins at home for UAB, this game would be their first test on the road.
The Thundering Herd jumped out to an eight point lead, but UAB used its full court press to force turnovers and turn them into instant points. Squeaky Johnson stole the ball twice in the first half, enabling UAB to tie the game at 22. Four quick points by Ernest Little led to the game being tied at 40 entering halftime. In the second half, UAB then scored the first eight points of the second half and led 48-40 with 18:36 left after a Squeaky Johnson jumper. The Thundering Herd hit three treys and tied the game 53-53 with 13:52 left. The Blazers maintained its lead, but could not put the Herd away. A jumper by Marshall in the paint cut the lead to one, 77-76 with 1:39 left. On the next possession, Marvett McDonald sank a three pointer, but the Herd answered with a layup to cut the lead to two, 80-78 with 44 seconds to go in the game. Marshall had a chance to tie the game with two seconds to go, but an A.W. Hamilton jumper missed from 14 feet. Donell Taylor hit a free throw to give the Blazers a three point victory, 81-78.
The game had 10 lead changes and 7 ties. The Blazers had turned 12 steals into 18 points and the UAB bench provided 28 points compared to eight points for Marshall’s bench. Mike Anderson had specific praise for Ernest Little, who came off the bench and scored a career high nine points in the win. He also had two key blocked shots. The Blazers were led by Demario Eddins with 18 points and Marvett McDonald with 15 points. Donell Taylor had 14 points.
UAB @ Marshall – February 3, 2007
UAB’s last visit to Marshall was last year on February 3. UAB was struggling and came to Huntingdon with an 11-10 record and losers of three of their last four games.
The Blazers scored the first eight points of the game, on put backs by Paul Delaney and Frank Holmes, plus two baskets by Wen Mukubu. UAB led 13-6 at the 12:36 mark in the first half. But the offense went stagnant after that and Marshall ripped off 10 consecutive points to take a 16-13 lead with 8:53 left in the half. UAB never led again in the game. Marshall took a 30-24 lead into halftime.
In the second half, Marshall appeared to be ready to blow the Blazers out as they scored the first eight points of the second half and took a 14 point lead. UAB had one more spurt in them and was led by the unlikeliest of players.
The Thundering Herd keyed on Paul Delaney and he managed just six shots and turned the ball over four times. He failed to reach double figures for the third consecutive game.
Mike Davis Jr. kicked off a 12-0 run with a 3-pointer from the right corner. He also added a 3-pointer from the top of the key and a reverse layup to the rally and Lawrence Kinnard hit four consecutive free throws. This run cut the Marshall lead to two points. Oddly enough, it was that rally that magnified the offensive problems for his team, according to his father. "When Mike is one of our leading scorers we're in trouble," Mike Davis Sr. said. "You can't ask a walk-on to be one of our leading scorers."
Marshall held off the challenge with baskets by Taurean Marshall and Tre Whitted followed by a Whitted three-pointer to pull away 45-38 with 11:50 remaining. The Blazers got as close as four points in the final minute and Marshall held on to win 61-54. UAB had only committed 11 turnovers in the game, but three of them were on 35 second shot clock violations. The Blazers were led in scoring by Davis Jr., and Mukubu with 11 points. UAB was now 11-11 and had gone five straight games without hitting the 50 point mark. That streak would extend to six in the next game against Memphis.
The Bench
Marshall has a new coach this year in Donnie Jones. Jones has never been a head coach before, but was a top assistant for Billy Donovan at Florida. He spent 11 seasons at the University of Florida Donovan, where Jones helped the Gators to three Final Fours and back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007. He was on the bench last year when the Blazers lost to Florida by the score of 75-70. Jones was also an assistant coach for Florida when UAB defeated the Gators in 1997.
Also on the Marshall bench is a familiar face to the UAB Blazers. Shawn Finney, head coach at Tulane from 2000-2005 is now an assistant coach at Marshall. Finney was 5-5 against the Blazers during his stint at Tulane.
January 19 has not been kind to the Blazers over the years. Eight games have been played on this date and only two of them resulted in victories. The Blazers are 1-3 on the road on this date.
UAB @ Western Kentucky – January 19, 1985
The only time UAB has won on the road on this date occurred in 1985 when the Blazers traveled to Bowling Green, Kentucky to battle Western Kentucky. UAB was 14-4 overall, 3-0 in the Sun Belt Conference, and on a six game winning streak. The Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky had lost their last four games, despite starting out 9-2. A huge crowd of 9800 turned out for this Saturday afternoon CBS regionally televised game.
With 7:48 to play in the game, it appeared that the Blazer win streak was in danger. Western Kentucky had pushed their lead to eleven points and led 57-46. Although the Blazers had led by one point with 16:19 left, but from the 17:33 point to 7:45 point of the second half, UAB had only one field goal, and the Hilltoppers now appeared to be on the way to victory. However, at that point, Steve Mitchell took over. He scored four straight baskets and led the Blazers to tie the game at 64 with under two minutes left in the game. Western Kentucky turned the ball over with 1:05 left and the Blazers had a chance to go ahead. With 27 seconds left in the game, Steve Mitchell’s shot bounced out, but Michael Charles tipped the ball in to give UAB a two point lead, 66-64. The Hilltopper star, Billy Gordon scored quickly and tied the game at 66 with 20 seconds left. With the partisan crowd going ballistic, Coach Gene Bartow called timeout with 17 seconds left.
During the timeout, Bartow told his players not to look for the hot shooting Mitchell or for James Ponder, but to look for the open shot. When the clock started, Steve Mitchell had the ball and dribbled in toward the basket. His defender backed off fearing a dish off. This was the opportunity Mitchell was looking for and he hit the go ahead jumper with four seconds left.
Western Kentucky called timeout with four seconds left. They then made two passes to get the ball to midcourt and called timeout again. Only one second ticked off the clock to the protests of Bartow and the Blazer bench. When the game started again, Billy Gordon’s jumper from the free throw line bounced off the rim, and the Blazers won 68-66.
Steve Mitchell led the Blazers in scoring with 24 points. James Ponder had 14 points. Kannard Johnson led the Hilltoppers with 21 points.
UAB @ Tulane – January 19, 2005
The last game played on this date occurred in 2005 when UAB traveled to New Orleans to take on the Green Wave of Tulane. UAB was 13-5 and Tulane was 7-9. However, tiny Fogelman Arena has always been a difficult and that night was no exception.
Marques Lewis sparked the Blazers to a 1 point lead at halftime, 31-30. Lewis had not missed a shot in the first half and had made 3 for 3 at the line and from the field for nine first half points. However, Tulane opened up a 6-0 run in the second half and took a 60-52 lead with 8:43 to play. Tulane overcame 25 turnovers in the game by shooting 54.5%. Meanwhile the Blazers shot 37.3%. The Blazers made a comeback and took the lead 68-65 on a Donell Taylor jumper with 52 seconds remaining. Tulane’s freshman point guard Taylor Rochestie hit a three point shot over Demario Eddins with 31 seconds to go to tie the game. UAB had a chance to win the game in regulation, but the shot by Squeaky Johnson fell short.
In overtime, UAB jumped out to a 71-68 lead, but Tulane tied the game at 71 with 2:24 left in overtime. The game was tied at 73 with 43.3 seconds to go and UAB worked the clock down. As the shot clock wound down, Squeaky Johnson took a shot that missed everything and UAB turned the ball over on a shot clock violation with 6.7 seconds left. Again, Taylor Rochestie for Tulane performed late game heroics as he drove the length of the court, got past a UAB double team and found himself alone at the top of the key. He shot and hit his three point shot as the buzzer sounded. Tulane won the game 76-73 in overtime. The Blazers was led by Demario Eddins with 18 points. Squeaky Johnson played perhaps his poorest game as a Blazer in his hometown as he went 0-7 from the field and missed the game winner in regulation and overtime. In two trips to Fogelman Arena during his career, Squeaky was 1-18 from the field and never won in his hometown. The Blazers did get revenge later in the year when Squeaky and the Blazers defeated the Green Wave by 29 points in the friendly confines of Bartow Arena.
The Opponent
UAB is 4-3 overall against tonight’s opponent, Marshall. The Blazers have lost two of the last three against Marshall, including a first round loss in last year’s Conference USA tournament.
UAB @ Marshall - December 4, 2004
The Blazers’ first game in Huntingdon against Marshall occurred on December 4, 2004 and was a non conference game for the Blazers. The Thundering Herd joined CUSA for the 2005-06 season. The Blazers were hoping to avenge a shocking two point loss at home to Marshall the previous season.
UAB entered the game at 3-0 and Marshall was 1-3. After three wins at home for UAB, this game would be their first test on the road.
The Thundering Herd jumped out to an eight point lead, but UAB used its full court press to force turnovers and turn them into instant points. Squeaky Johnson stole the ball twice in the first half, enabling UAB to tie the game at 22. Four quick points by Ernest Little led to the game being tied at 40 entering halftime. In the second half, UAB then scored the first eight points of the second half and led 48-40 with 18:36 left after a Squeaky Johnson jumper. The Thundering Herd hit three treys and tied the game 53-53 with 13:52 left. The Blazers maintained its lead, but could not put the Herd away. A jumper by Marshall in the paint cut the lead to one, 77-76 with 1:39 left. On the next possession, Marvett McDonald sank a three pointer, but the Herd answered with a layup to cut the lead to two, 80-78 with 44 seconds to go in the game. Marshall had a chance to tie the game with two seconds to go, but an A.W. Hamilton jumper missed from 14 feet. Donell Taylor hit a free throw to give the Blazers a three point victory, 81-78.
The game had 10 lead changes and 7 ties. The Blazers had turned 12 steals into 18 points and the UAB bench provided 28 points compared to eight points for Marshall’s bench. Mike Anderson had specific praise for Ernest Little, who came off the bench and scored a career high nine points in the win. He also had two key blocked shots. The Blazers were led by Demario Eddins with 18 points and Marvett McDonald with 15 points. Donell Taylor had 14 points.
UAB @ Marshall – February 3, 2007
UAB’s last visit to Marshall was last year on February 3. UAB was struggling and came to Huntingdon with an 11-10 record and losers of three of their last four games.
The Blazers scored the first eight points of the game, on put backs by Paul Delaney and Frank Holmes, plus two baskets by Wen Mukubu. UAB led 13-6 at the 12:36 mark in the first half. But the offense went stagnant after that and Marshall ripped off 10 consecutive points to take a 16-13 lead with 8:53 left in the half. UAB never led again in the game. Marshall took a 30-24 lead into halftime.
In the second half, Marshall appeared to be ready to blow the Blazers out as they scored the first eight points of the second half and took a 14 point lead. UAB had one more spurt in them and was led by the unlikeliest of players.
The Thundering Herd keyed on Paul Delaney and he managed just six shots and turned the ball over four times. He failed to reach double figures for the third consecutive game.
Mike Davis Jr. kicked off a 12-0 run with a 3-pointer from the right corner. He also added a 3-pointer from the top of the key and a reverse layup to the rally and Lawrence Kinnard hit four consecutive free throws. This run cut the Marshall lead to two points. Oddly enough, it was that rally that magnified the offensive problems for his team, according to his father. "When Mike is one of our leading scorers we're in trouble," Mike Davis Sr. said. "You can't ask a walk-on to be one of our leading scorers."
Marshall held off the challenge with baskets by Taurean Marshall and Tre Whitted followed by a Whitted three-pointer to pull away 45-38 with 11:50 remaining. The Blazers got as close as four points in the final minute and Marshall held on to win 61-54. UAB had only committed 11 turnovers in the game, but three of them were on 35 second shot clock violations. The Blazers were led in scoring by Davis Jr., and Mukubu with 11 points. UAB was now 11-11 and had gone five straight games without hitting the 50 point mark. That streak would extend to six in the next game against Memphis.
The Bench
Marshall has a new coach this year in Donnie Jones. Jones has never been a head coach before, but was a top assistant for Billy Donovan at Florida. He spent 11 seasons at the University of Florida Donovan, where Jones helped the Gators to three Final Fours and back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007. He was on the bench last year when the Blazers lost to Florida by the score of 75-70. Jones was also an assistant coach for Florida when UAB defeated the Gators in 1997.
Also on the Marshall bench is a familiar face to the UAB Blazers. Shawn Finney, head coach at Tulane from 2000-2005 is now an assistant coach at Marshall. Finney was 5-5 against the Blazers during his stint at Tulane.
