The UAB men’s basketball team earned their fourth sweep of the Conference USA season after defeating UTEP in a second-half comeback.
Jalen Benjamin and Michael Ertel led the Blazers in scoring with 19 points each. Benjamin shot 5-7 from the arc with a pair of steals. Ertel grabbed two rebounds and had three assists.
“[When] Mike and Jalen can shoot the ball the way they did tonight in the second half [that] really gives our team a chance to take the next step,” said head coach Andy Kennedy.
Souley Boum led the Miners with 17 points while also getting five rebounds and four assists.
It was a battle throughout the entire first half with four lead changes and six ties in the first 20 minutes. Quan Jackson hit a 3-pointer with 27 seconds left to tie the game, but UTEP’s Keonte Kennedy hit a buzzer-beater to end the first half 34-32.
The Blazers stepped it up in the second half taking and controlling the lead with a 9-0 run with 11:25 minutes left in the game. UAB also went 5-6 on 3-pointers in the second half compared to their 3-7 in the first.
The UAB Blazers (16-2) will play Louisiana Tech (15-6) next on Friday, Feb. 12 in Ruston, La.
