By Garrett Helmers
Another day, another record broken by Jordan “Jelly” Walker.
The junior point guard scored 42 in the Blazers’ (18-5, 8-2) dominant 97-75 win over Middle Tennessee (14-7, 5-3) in Saturday’s Bartow Classic. The total sets the single-game record for points scored in school history, surpassing then-player Andy Kennedy’s record of 41.
UAB would need the performance by Walker to outlast a tough Blue Raiders team, who came into the matchup riding a five-game winning streak.
Early in the first half, the Blue Raiders used energy and great shooting to take an eight-point lead over the Blazers, who seemed a little overwhelmed by Middle Tennessee’s tenacious defense.
With just over five minutes in the first half, Tavin Lovan drew a foul from Middle Tennessee’s Tyler Millin. Despite Lovan only making one of the two free throws, it would spark a 25-8 run by the Blazers.
A plethora of threes by Walker nearly blew the roof off Bartow Arena, as the fans erupted in “Jelly” chants in the final minutes of the first half. Walker would have 26 points in the half and put the Blazers up by nine heading into the locker room.
Josh Jefferson, who led Middle Tennessee with 19 points, would not let the Blue Raiders go down without a fight. Jefferson hit two huge threes that brought the Blue Raiders back within 11 points with nine minutes to play.
The Blue Raiders shot well in this one, with 47 percent from three-point range. Normally, a shooting performance like the one the Blue Raiders had would lead to a win, but the Blazers and Jelly Walker were too much to handle.
A deciding factor in this one came in the turnover margin, as the Blazers forced 17 turnovers, resulting in 20 points.
While the Blue Raiders put up a good fight, the pace and the game were controlled by Walker and the Blazers, who controlled the second half and earned a huge win in conference play.
Walker broke Andy Kennedy’s record with a free throw coming with under two minutes left in the game. Again, chants of “Jelly” echoed in Bartow.
Beaming with confidence, Walker said he really gets in a groove when the Blazers play at home.
“Especially at Bartow, … I feel like once I make one [shot], I can make a lot. I feel like I’ve proven that time in and time out,” said Walker.
Coach Andy Kennedy was proud of the way his team and Walker played. Despite joking about losing his record to Walker, Kennedy said he hopes his players continue to cement their names in Blazer history.
“One thing about these coaches, we’re pretty greedy people. I still got my name in the record book, there’s a few more he can try to get,” said Kennedy.
The Blazers will play again on Thursday, Feb. 10 against Southern Mississippi (6-16, 1-8). Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. at Bartow Arena.
