by Garrett Helmers
Men’s Basketball
After dropping a tough game at Bartow this past weekend, the Blazers (20-7, 10-4) have little chance to win the regular season conference title. They still have plenty to play for though, as they hope to secure the two seed in the C-USA West division and avoid playing an extra game in Frisco.
On the docket this week, two Texas teams who are on very different paths. UTEP (16-10, 9-5) has won its last two games and sits just one game behind the Blazers in the standings, while UTSA (9-19, 2-13) has struggled to find any consistency in conference play.
The Blazers will look to bounce back and lock up a first-round bye in the C-USA tournament.
Thursday, Feb. 24 vs. UTSA
The Roadrunners have had a hard time finding a rhythm this season, with their only two conference wins against lackluster FIU and Southern Miss squads.
UTSA’s lack of success comes in large part due to their offensive woes. UTSA is the worst shooting team in the league, ranks towards the bottom of C-USA in assists, and scores just 67.9 points per game.
The Blazers are averaging over 80 points per contest this season.
Despite UTSA’s struggles, UAB should not expect to walk out of this one victorious without a fight.
Led by top-five rebounder Jacob Germany, the Roadrunners are the best offensive rebounding team in the conference. The Blazers will have to rebound well if they want to avoid giving UTSA second-chance points.
The top scorer for the Roadrunners, Dhieu Deing (14.29), could play a huge role if they were to upset the Blazers.
UTSA and UAB will tip off at 7 p.m. in San Antonio. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+.
Saturday, Feb. 26 vs. UTEP
Unlike the Roadrunners, UTEP is playing some of their best basketball of the season. The Miners defeated LA Tech and Southern Miss last week behind huge performances from junior guard Souley Boum.
Boum, who leads the conference in points per game at just under 20 per contest, has proven to be one of the best players in C-USA this season. Boum is not the only offensive star for the Miners, as point guard Jamal Bieniemy also ranks inside the top ten scorers in the conference.
If UAB wants to walk out of El Paso with a win, the game plan is clear: stop Boum and Bieniemy.
Despite having two of the best offensive stars in the conference, UTEP is 10th in scoring offense this season, with just over 69 points per game. It’s their top-three defense that typically allows the Miners to win games.
UAB will have to prove they can outlast that stifling defense if they hope to beat UTEP and make a run during the final stretch of the season.
Luckily for the Blazers, they should have a huge advantage on the boards in this one. UTEP is the worst rebounding team in C-USA while UAB ranks towards the top of the league. Trey Jemison and KJ Buffen should prove why they are one of the best front-court tandems in the conference.
The Miners and Blazers are set to tipoff at 8 p.m. on Saturday. The game can be streamed on ESPN+.
Women’s Basketball
Coach Randy Norton and the Blazers (13-11, 6-7) dropped two close games on the road last week and another to Rice on Monday. Riding a four-game losing streak, the Blazers have quickly found themselves in fourth place in the West.
UAB will have plenty of opportunities to get back in the win column this week, as they play two more games at Bartow this week. Despite their recent struggles, the Blazers are just two games out of first place.
Wednesday, Feb. 23 vs. UTSA
UTSA (6-19, 3-11) has been consistently inconsistent with their play this season. The Roadrunners lack any real offensive firepower with no player on their team averaging over 8.5 points per game.
The Roadrunners boast the worst scoring offense (54.64 ppg) and one of the worst scoring defenses (66.12 ppg) in the conference. Pair that with the league’s worst shooting percentage and it is clear why UTSA has struggled this season.
That being said, UTSA is coming off a huge win against a very good Lady Techsters team on Saturday where they only allowed 49 points.
The Roadrunners are also the best offensive rebounding team in C-USA, meaning Zakyia Weathersby will have to play well to keep UTSA off the glass.
If UAB can play efficiently on offense, they should have no trouble handling the Roadrunners. Most importantly, the Blazers cannot be in a defensive battle with this team, they should look to push the pace and score on the fast break.
This matchup between the Roadrunners and the Blazers tips off at 6 p.m. The game can be streamed on CUSA.tv.
Saturday, Feb. 26 vs UTEP
Like the Roadrunners, the UTEP Miners (14-11, 6-9) have struggled to find their groove in conference play.
Unlike the Roadrunners, the Miners have a clear star on the offensive end. Junior guard Destiny Thurman averages 12.86 points per contest, good enough for 14th in the league.
UTEP has also proven themselves to be a worthy opponent on the offensive end, ranking in the top five in C-USA with 67 points per game.
UTEP forward Elina Arike is one of the best rebounders in the conference, averaging just over seven boards a game. Weathersby’ effort on the glass will be a huge thing to watch in this one.
Where the Miners struggle, UAB has shined so far this season. UTEP is one of the worst defensive teams in the league in terms of shooting percentage allowed, while the Blazers have shot consistently well.
UAB will have to shoot the ball well, play good defense and contain Thurman if they want to pull out the win in Bartow.
UTEP and UAB will tipoff at 2 p.m. The game will be available to stream on CUSA.tv.
