Author: Thomas Lagrone
Jordan Walker and Quan Jackson both scored 19 to power UAB past UNC-Asheville 102-77 on Tuesday night.
Walker ensured the Blazers led during a majority of the first half. He headed into halftime shooting a perfect 6-6 from the field, including the only made three pointer by the Blazers in the first half. He tacked on four assists and a steal to go with his incredible shooting performance.
“I was just doing what coach [Kennedy] tells me to do,” Walker said. “Be aggressive and if I’m open and I can shoot it, just shoot it.”
Jackson struggled in the first half, scoring six points and shooting 3 of 8 from the field. In the second half, Jackson flipped the script by shooting 5 of 6 from the field and picking up 13 more points.
Three other Blazers scored double digits: Tavin Lovan, KJ Buffen and Michael Ertel.
The first half was a physical battle from both sides. Whenever UAB extended their lead to eight or nine points, UNCA would score a couple baskets in a row to bring the game back within three or four.
Strong three-point shotting allowed UNC-Asheville to keep the game close in the first half. They finished the first half shooting 6 of 12 from beyond the arc, three of which came from Drew Pember.
Heading into halftime, UAB held a 44-36 lead over UNC-Asheville.
At the beginning of the second half, UNC-Asheville cut the lead to four. However, the Blazers went on a 14-0 run in the span of two minutes and twelve seconds.
Walker knocked down a couple of threes, and Jackson added a layup and an electrifying two hand dunk that energized the home crowd. Lovan and Ertel added layups of their own, which gave the Blazers a 60-42 lead, and they never looked back.
Although UAB had an impressive offensive showing, their defense was the unsung hero in the game. The Blazers forced 16 turnovers, while only having six of their own. UAB capitalized on this discrepancy, scoring 25 points from these turnovers, while UNC-Asheville scored just eight.
The Blazers struggled to pull away in the first half, but they showed flashes of what they were capable of during the second half.
“We have moments where we look like a really good team… I thought about 40% of the game, we looked like a real team,” said head coach Andy Kennedy.
With the win, UAB begins the season 1-0. The Blazers host Morehead State on Friday, November 12 at 6 p.m.
