UNO cuts 19-point deficit to two in near upset at UAB

Three Privateers reached double figures

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Privateers erased a 19-point deficit and made it a one-possession ballgame with 1:28 remaining in regulation. However, UAB (8-4) did just enough to improve to 7-0 at Bartow Arena with a 74-67 victory over the University of New Orleans (3-8) Wednesday evening.

Damion Rosser led the team with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting off the bench and Ezekiel Charles (nine from 3FG) and Travin Thibodeaux scored 12 points (10 in second half) apiece. Lamont Berzat was a menace defensively, swiping four passes that led to the UNO run.

The Privateers finished with 18 offensive rebounds but the Blazers were efficient offensively, shooting 59.6 percent from the floor and 41.2 percent from three-point range. Four players reached double figures for UAB, led by Chris Cokley’s 16 points and 10 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season.

FIRST HALF
Transition points came early for UAB allowing the Blazers to jump out to a 9-0 lead less than two minutes into the game. Makur Puou’s hook put the Privateers on the board at the 18:05 mark, followed by a Troy Green layup off the dish from Diontae Champion.

The Green and White led by 10 with 9:09 left in the opening half, but the Privateers continued to battle back, highlighted by Rosser’s coast-to-coast layup after a steal, cutting the UAB lead to six.

Trading baskets prior to the final media of the first, Rosser drained a triple to give him a team-high seven to this point.

UAB scored seven unanswered in a minute to extend its lead to 14 with a minute remaining in the stanza. Officially, the Blazers ended the half on a 10-2 run and a 45-30 lead.

Rosser was UNO’s leader with seven points and Puou added five points and two steals.

SECOND HALF
Eight of Thibs’ 10 points came in the opening minutes of the second half and Berzat catapulted the rally with three of his four steals coming in the 10 minutes that began the second. The double digit contest was the 30th of Thibs’ career and eighth of the season.

An 11-1 run and nine unanswered points, capped by Ezekiel Charles’ triple and Rosser’s layup made it 59-53 UAB at the 8:52 mark. The bunny gave Rosser 11 points, the second time the freshman reaches double figures.

Champion followed a miss with a layup to make it cut the Green and White lead to five but William Lee, who entered averaging 10.1 points, scored his first two points of the game with 6:18 remaining.

Moments later, Rosser drained both free throws, Charles came up with a big swat and Thibodeaux’s second chance bucket made it a one-possession ballgame (5:10).

Following its final timeout, New Orleans caught fire from three-point range as Charles connected on a corner triple for 10 points and Bryson Robinson hit nothing but net from the top of the key to make it a four-point game with 2:57 left to play.

A trip sent Charles to the line and the junior hit both as UNO erased a 19-point deficit to two with 1:28 to go.

Nick Norton hit the biggest shot of the game with 1:05 to extend the Blazer lead to five and down the stretch, UAB did just enough to improve to 7-0 at Bartow with the 74-67 victory.

NEXT UP
The defending Southland Conference champions open up conference play hosting Abilene Christian December 28 at Lakefront Arena at 7 p.m.

SOCIAL MEDIA
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