UAB set to host Middle Tennessee at Bartow Arena

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB men’s basketball team will continue its six-game homestand when it takes on Middle Tennessee on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at Bartow Arena. The contest will mark the third time the two teams have met on the hardwood, but it is the first meeting since Dec. 22, 1998.

UAB enters the contest against Middle Tennessee in the fourth game of a season-high six-game homestand. The Blazers are now 3-0 on the homestand with victories over Georgia (72-56 on Nov. 21), Troy (77-59 on Nov. 24) and most recently Florida A&M last Saturday (90-59). The wins stretched the Blazers’ win streak to five games, as they improved to 6-1 overall. Senior forward Howard Crawford continues to impress, collecting a career-high 26 points to go along with a season-best eight rebounds to lead UAB to the 31-point win.

Junior guard Elijah Millsap leads UAB in scoring (17.4 ppg), rebounding (8.7 rpg) and free throws made (38) and attempted (54) entering Wednesday’s game. The Louisiana-Lafayette transfer has led the Blazers in either scoring and/or rebounding in six of their seven games this season.

Crawford is second on the team with 15.6 points per contest, while junior guard Jamarr Sanders adds 11.0 ppg and leads the team in three-point shooting (16-of-35, .457). Junior guard Aaron Johnson adds 9.6 points and leads the team in assists (4.3) and steals (1.7) per game.

As a team, the Blazers are shooting 45.7 percent from the floor and 37.0 percent from beyond the arc on the year. UAB also boasts a +5.0 advantage on the boards (35.7-30.7).
UAB head coach Mike Davis is now in his fourth season at the helm of the Blazers’ basketball program and his 10th season as a head coach. He boasts a record of 66-40 (.623) at UAB and a 181-119 (.603) record overall.

Middle Tennessee comes into Wednesday’s matchup sporting a 3-3 overall record following an 87-54 win over Cumberland last Saturday, which marked the Blue Raiders second win this season over a non-Division I team. Middle Tennessee also defeated Lamar at home (74-66) back on Nov. 19.

The Blue Raiders will be looking for their first road victory of the season (0-3) when they invade Bartow Arena.

Middle Tennessee is led by junior guard James Washington and senior forward Montarrio Haddock. Washington leads the team in scoring (15.5 ppg), assists (4.3 apg) and steals (1.8 spg) on the season. Meanwhile, Hadddock is second on the team with 15.3 ppg and leads the team with 5.7 rebounds a contest.

Freshman guard James Gallman, who led all scorers with a career-best 25 points off the bench in the win over Cumberland, contributes 9.5 points and 5.3 rebounds a game.

As a team, the Blue Raiders are shooting 43.4 percent from the floor and 37.5 percent from beyond the arc. Middle Tennessee is also an excellent free throw shooting team, averaging 76.8 percent from the charity stripe this season. The Blue Raiders are outscoring the competition by 6.0 points a game (73.0-67.0) and out rebounding their opponents by 1.1 boards per contest (35.3-34.2).

Head coach Kermit Davis is now in his eighth season at the helm of the Middle Tennessee program. He boasts an overall coaching record of 121-99 (.550) during his eight-year tenure.
(courtesy: UAB Media Relations)