By Garrett Helmers
Jordan Walker continued his reign of terror on Thursday night as the Blazers (19-5, 9-2) used a huge second half to pull away from Southern Miss (6-17, 1-9). Walker, who had 25 in the contest, posted his eighth-straight game with at least 20 points.
Once again, UAB found themselves down early in the first half, in large part due to the performance of Tyler Stevenson, who had 24 points and four rebounds for the Golden Eagles.
While the Blazers played well enough on offense to stay in the game, their defense struggled to keep Southern Miss off the glass and from hitting shots in the first half.
The Golden Eagles, who have been one of the worst shooting teams in the conference, shot nearly 50 percent from the field in the first half. The Blazers shot a measly 36 percent. Jordan “Jelly” Walker, who has been hot of late, was just of 3-13 in the first half.
UAB was able to stay in the game because of their ability to get to the free throw line and convert. The Blazers were a perfect seven of seven from the line in the first half.
A back and forth half ended with a jumper at the buzzer by the Golden Eagles’ Rashad Bolden that tied the game 37-37.
Despite their first half struggles, UAB proved they were simply too much for the Golden Eagles to handle in the second half.
The Blazers held Southern Miss to just 25 percent shooting in the second half, allowing only one shot from three-point range.
While the opening minutes of the second half were close, a huge dunk by KJ Buffen ignited the crowd and the Blazer bench with about 15 minutes left to play in the game.
Buffen’s dunk highlighted a half in which UAB outscored the Golden Eagles 47-26. The driving force behind the run: points off turnovers and points in the paint.
The Blazers had nearly 40 points in the paint and were able to create timely turnovers.
Quan Jackson might be the most valuable player for the Blazers other than maybe Walker. His energy on defense and on the glass allows the Blazers to go on runs like they did in the second half of this one.
“I have an all-around game, I don’t really focus on scoring, I focus on defense,” said Jackson, who posted his second-straight double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Trey Jemison, who has struggled at times to find his place in the offense, was able to post up inside and score 10 points for the Blazers. While he may not have lit up the scoreboard, his presence inside opened the offense for the rest of the team.
Head coach Andy Kennedy says he likes his team to play through their big men like Jemison.
“We want to play inside out,” said Kennedy. “That’s where we have to be, we can’t settle on the perimeter.”
UAB will play again on Sunday, Feb. 13 against Old Dominion (9-15, 4-7) in Norfolk. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPNU.
