Author: Garrett Helmers
UAB’s Caitlynn Daniels set a career high in scoring with 28 points, shooting 8-11 from three-point range in Friday’s 76-62 home victory over Mississippi Valley State.
MVSU jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead over UAB with a three-point play from senior guard Zakiya Mahoney. Mahoney would finish the game with a team-high 23 points.
The first quarter was back and forth, as the Delta Devilettes and Blazers swapped leads five times. They went into the second quarter tied at 18 after MVSU’s Kerrigan Johnson hit a bucket right before the buzzer.
UAB’s Daniels found her groove in the second quarter, as she opened a 12-0 run by UAB with a three-pointer with 9:29 left in the quarter. Daniels had eleven points in the second quarter and a team-high fourteen points at the break.
The Blazers would close the half with a 41-30 lead, despite only shooting 13-40 going into the break.
UAB would start the third quarter with a pair of free throws from Zakyia Weathersby and didn’t look back. The Blazers went up by as many as 17 behind a strong performance from Weathersby, who finished the day with 20 points and 18 rebounds.
MVSU made a late surge in the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to eight with just five minutes left to play, but UAB would prove to be too much for the Delta Devilettes, as the Blazers would go on to win 76-62.
On a day where the Blazers lacked shooting consistency, outside of Daniels and Weathersby, who scored 48 of UAB’s 76 points, head coach Randy Norton attributed the team’s success to their will to win.
“It was kind of like a rollercoaster, but as we all know, in basketball, that’s sometimes how it goes. I’m just proud of our team and their will to win today,” said Norton.
Daniels was more than happy to praise her team following a career day.
“It helps when my teammates have that confidence in me, they’re giving me those looks, and I couldn’t do anything I do out there without them…and that just helps me go out there and play my game every day,” said Daniels.
UAB (3-0) will head west to California to face off against San Diego State on Nov. 22. The game is set to tipoff at 3:00 p.m.
