The Blazers will look to slay the Blue Raiders this week as UAB men’s and women’s basketball teams set off to face Middle Tennessee this week.
This week’s games are a bit different than usual. The teams will get a little breather from the back-to-back games that have become the norm in Conference USA this season. The series against Middle Tennessee will take place on Thursday and Sunday switching between Birmingham and Murfreesboro.
Men’s Basketball
The two teams could not be coming into this game farther apart. The Blazers (12-2, 5-1) enter the top team in Conference USA, coming off a sweep of a solid Rice team at home. The Blue Raiders (3-9, 1-5) sit at the bottom of the standings dropping two to Western Kentucky last week by a combined 31 points at home.
Designated rivals and travel partners by Conference USA, UAB and Middle Tennessee have met 22 times. UAB leads the series 13-9 all time.
This Blue Raider team is in a vastly different spot from where it was a few years ago when they were nationally ranked and soaring past the rest of Conference USA. Their three wins are over a down Murray State program, Division III Covenant College and regularly struggling FIU.
Middle Tennessee has had difficulty scoring for much of the season. Their scoring offense is ranked number 328 in the nation, putting up only 60.9 points a game. They’ve been a poor shooting team ranking in the bottom 10 in the nation in field goal percentage. They haven’t scored 70 or more in a game since early December. Going up against UAB’s suffocating defense – the fourth-ranked scoring defense in Division I – the Blue Raiders will likely struggle.
If there is someone to keep an eye out for, it’s redshirt junior Jordan Davis. The guard has been their most consistent player, averaging 10.7 points and 4 rebounds per game.
Look for UAB to sweep. Middle Tennesse is at the bottom of Conference USA for a reason.
Thursday’s game will tip at 8 p.m. in Murfreesboro and will be televised by CBS Sports Network. Sunday’s game will tip at 2 p.m. in Birmingham and be available to stream on ESPN+. Both games will be available to listen to on WJQX 100.5 in Birmingham.
Women’s Basketball
The women’s team (7-5, 2-4) enters this week after the postponement of their series against Rice. The Blue Raiders (9-4, 7-1) enter as the number two in the east division and have the most conference wins of any team in Conference USA.
The two teams have met 22 times with UAB trailing in the series 9-13.
This Blue Raider program has long had a history of success, making the postseason every year since the 2003-04 season. This year is no different head coach Rick Insell’s squad has overcome its rough to start to win nine of its last 10 games.
Their success has come off a productive offense. The Blue Raiders lead the conference in scoring with over 77 points a game and shoot over 40% from the field.
Anastasia Hayes has been the star of this Middle Tennesse team. She has been named Conference USA player of the week four times already this season. Her 27.1 points per game is the second highest in the nation.
Consistency has been an issue for this UAB team beyond the Zakyia Weathersby and Margaret Whitley’s usually strong performances. The Blazers will need good showings from someone else to help lift them to victory.
This is another tough team the Blazers will have to face, and they have struggled closing out against top teams this season. UAB has shown they can win the first three quarters against top-quality teams. The question is can they take the fourth.
Against a Middle Tennessee team with an imposing starting lineup, that is a tall order. Look for two close-fought battles in this series between two good teams. A more consistent starting five will likely lift the Blue Raiders to victory, though.
Thursday’s game will tip at 6 p.m. in Birmingham, and Sunday’s game will tip at 4 p.m. in Murfreesboro.
