UAB: 2023-24 American Men's Basketball Champions

 

A surprise run from the suddenly upstart Temple Owls was stopped short on the doorstep of a bid into March Madness. 

After making it to the final round of the Amercian Athletic Conference Championship as an 11 seed, the Owls ran into a No. 4-seeded UAB squad that had an answer for everything they could muster, sending them home on an 85-69 defeat and without the automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament that was up for grabs. 

Hysier Miller led Temple with a game-high 32 points, but was the only starter to hit double-digits in scoring for the Owls against a UAB defense they struggled to crack. 

Temple shot 9-for-30 from the field for the first half and went a brutal 2-for-12 from three with the Blazers regularly forcing them into tough looks and rushed decisions. The Owls struggled to get the ball inside and had to earn just about every basket they got. 

UAB, meanwhile, seemingly couldn't miss down the other way, especially from long range.

The Blazers shot 7-for-13 from beyond the arc in the first half, with the hot hand of guard Alejandro Vasquez heavily leading the charge at a perfect 5-for-5 from three. He would go on to finish with 29 points while contributing to an 11-0 run late in the first half that repeatedly punished the Owls in transition and set the tone for UAB to run away with this one. 

The Blazers' Christian Coleman put home an easy layup and then an emphatic dunk on fast breaks made in quick succession. 

Early into the second half, after UAB's Eric Gaines rushed down the floor to make a block on Miller's three attempt from behind, Coleman recovered the ball and launched it down to Vasquez breaking toward the basket, who then put it off the glass for Coleman catch up with and throw down to all but put the final nail in the contest. 

Sunday brought a crushing end to Temple's season, but produced a late run for the Owls to both be proud of and to build off of following Adam Fisher's first, and turbulent, year as head coach of the men's program. 

The Owls went a rocky 16-19 through the regular season and a woeful 5-13 in conference play. 

They were blown out by UAB, 100-72, back on March 7, which after their second consecutive loss, also brought to light that gambling watchdog U.S. Integrity had been monitoring Temple's past two contests for unusual wagering activity. 

The Owls came back and beat UTSA, 84-82, to close out their 2023-24 slate and secure them as the No. 11 seed in the American's postseason tournament, then rang off an improbable run that saw them topple UTSA again, SMU, Charlotte, and then Flordia Atlantic before hitting a wall in the final against UAB.

UAB: 2022 Bahamas Bowl Champions

NASSAU, Bahamas – Reynard Ellis tackled Jalen Walker at the 1-yard line on the final play of the game to give UAB a 24-20 victory over Miami (OH) in the 2022 HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl.

 

Jermaine Brown Jr. scored the go-ahead touchdown for UAB on 4th-and-1 with 1:33 left in fourth quarter. Brown Jr. rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns overall.

 

Trea Shropshire was the game's offensive MVP after tying the Bahamas Bowl record with 183 receiving yards. Michael Fairbanks II was the defensive MVP with seven tackles, 1.5 TFL, 0.5 sack and a blocked extra point.

 

The win was UAB's third bowl victory in school history and the first time UAB has won back-to-back bowl games. It also marked UAB's 50th win since returning to action in 2017, which is the most of any team in Conference USA during that span. UAB finished the year at 7-6 overall is 50-26 since 2017.  

 

On Miami's first possession, UAB forced a turnover on downs and quickly turned that into seven points. UAB's first offensive play was a 48-yard completion from Hopkins to Shropshire, and those would connect again on a 10-yard reception for an early 7-0 lead.

 

UAB's second drive of the game resulted in a 42-yard field goal by Matt Quinn to extend the Blazer lead to 10-0 with 3:31 left in the opening quarter.

 

Miami scored late in the first half on a 33-yard touchdown reception, but the extra point was blocked by Michael Fairbanks II which brought the score to 10-6 at the half.

 

The RedHawks took their first lead of the game with 5:44 left in the third. Following a UAB muffed punt inside its own 5-yard line. It took Miami one play to find the end zone for a 13-10 advantage.

 

The Blazers took the lead right back on their next possession, going 75 yards in 14 plays and capping it with a 3-yard touchdown from Brown Jr. with 13:29 remaining in the game.

 

Miami then came right back with a 12-play drive that took up 6:37 of the clock and converted a 3rd-and-8 for a 10-yard touchdown pass to regain a 20-17 lead with 6:52 left in the game.   

 

UAB's defense came up big once again and gave the ball back to the offense with four minutes to go. The Blazers went 70 yards in five plays, and Brown Jr. punched it in for the 24-20 lead.

 

With a minute to go, Miami marched down the field, but it was Ellis who played hero by stopping the RedHawks on the final play of the game.

UAB: 2021-22 Conference USA Men's Basketball Champions

 

FRISCO, TX. (WBRC) - The Blazers are going dancing once again.

UAB defeated Louisiana Tech 82-73 Saturday, to win the Conference USA Championship. This was the Blazers first Conference USA Title since defeating Middle Tennessee in 2015.

The Blazers led the Bulldogs by ten at the half, but the Bulldogs fought back to make it a three point game in the second half. However, the Blazers held on to secure the win, and clinch a spot in the NCAA Tournament

This was the third time the Blazers played the Bulldogs this season, with UAB winning both regular season matchups.

Jordan Walker led the Blazers with 27 points, while Michael Ertel finished with 15.

This is the first NCAA tournament appearance for the Blazers since 2015, when they made it to the round of 32. They will see who they play in the NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday.

UAB: 2021 Independence Bowl Champions

Dylan Hopkins threw three touchdown passes, including a 14-yard strike to Trea Shropshire in the fourth quarter to give UAB a 31-28 upset of No. 13 BYU on Saturday in the Independence Bowl at Shreveport, La.

Hopkins’ game-winning toss came on fourth-and-7 with 6:17 left. It was the second fourth down UAB (9-4) converted on the drive as it won a bowl game for the second time in the program’s 31-year history. BYU was the highest-ranked opponent the Blazers have ever beaten.

Hopkins completed 19 of 23 passes for 189 yards. DeWayne McBride carried 28 times for 183 yards and scored on a 64-yard sprint in the first quarter.

BYU (10-3) was led by Tyler Allgeier, who carried 27 times for 192 yards and three touchdowns in breaking the Cougars’ single-season rushing record. Allgeier topped the mark of Luke Staley who ran for 1,582 yards in 2001. Allgeier finished the year with 1,601 yards and 23 rushing touchdowns.

Allgeier’s third score of the game came early in the fourth quarter after Masen Wake ran 29 yards with a shovel pass to the 1-yard line. Allgeier’s touchdown carry gave BYU a 28-24 lead.

But UAB retaliated with a 75-yard drive. McBride carried for 44 yards in the march which milked 8:16 from the fourth-quarter clock.

BYU moved to midfield on its ensuing possession but at the end of a 22-yard reception, Samson Nacua fumbled and UAB’s Mac McWilliams recovered with 3:36 left. The Blazers then ran out the clock as McBride rushed for a pair of first downs and Jermaine Brown (8 carries, 47 yards) carried for another.

The Cougars were without injured starting quarterback Jaren Hall. Baylor Romney completed 15 of 23 passes for 195 yards.

UAB took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Hopkins capped a 60-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Gerrit Prince.

On the Blazers’ next possession, McBride broke into the clear on off tackle run, stiff-armed a defender to the ground and outran two other defenders to the end zone on his 64-yard touchdown run.

But BYU responded with touchdowns on its next two possessions. On a 72-yard drive on which he accounted for all the yards on seven carries, Allgeier capped it with a 1-yard scoring run. Then Nacua scored on a 2-yard end around to tie it.

UAB regained the lead before the half ended as Hopkins capped a 78-yard march with a 23-yard strike to Prince on a wheel route.

–Field Level Media

UAB: 2018 Boca Raton Bowl Champions

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Two seasons after shutting down its football program, UAB closed out the year on an electrifying note.

Tyler Johnston III threw for 373 yards and four touchdowns, three of them to Xavier Ubosi, and UAB beat Northern Illinois 37-13 in the Boca Raton Bowl on Tuesday night.

Ubosi had seven catches for 227 yards for the Conference USA champion Blazers (11-3), who got their first-ever bowl victory in three appearances. UAB played in its second consecutive bowl since the program was reinstated after the self-imposed hiatus.

"I guess in our wildest dreams we dreamed of winning a conference championship and then cap it off with a bowl win, so it's really that sweet," UAB coach Bill Clark said. "I don't think it could have gone any better for us, so I'm very proud."

Northern Illinois (8-6), the Mid-American Conference champion, has lost six consecutive bowl games since beating Arkansas in the 2012 GoDaddy.com Bowl.

"It really comes down to three things. We gave up three touchdowns on three deep balls," NIU coach Rod Carey said. "Old-fashioned go routes. Give those guys credit. They ran by us. They threw it, caught it. That's the difference. If not, it's 16-13. In the fourth quarter, I like our chances.

"We have to own it as coaches. We have to own it as players. We didn't coach good enough. We didn't play good enough. Thirteen points isn't winning football. Bummer."

Johnston, who took over the starting job for the injured A.J. Erdely at midseason, set career highs in passing yards and touchdown passes, and Ubosi's 227 yards were the third-most receiving in a game in school history. Ubosi came into the game ranked second in the country at 21.8 yards per catch, and his TD receptions covered 70, 46 and 66 yards.

"I'm surprised but at the same time you work for it," Ubosi said. "Just practice hard and whatever you do in practice you'll do in the game."

All-American Spencer Brown, who entered with 1,167 rushing yards and a school-record 16 touchdowns, caught a 3-yard shovel pass for a score and had 78 yards on the ground.

UAB's 10th-ranked defense harassed Huskes quarterback Marcus Childers, sacking him five times and forcing two fumbles (one lost). He finished 22 of 29 for 179 yards and had 35 yards rushing on 18 carries. NIU led the nation with 50 sacks, but never got to Johnston.

Johnston hit Ubosi in stride for a 70-yard TD just 18 seconds after the opening kickoff.

"It made it easier for me," Johnston said. "Everyone wants to score on the first play of the game. I trusted (Ubosi). He said, `Just put it in front of me and I'll go get it."

After a penalty on a punt gave the Blazers a fourth-and-1 opportunity that they converted, the duo connected again with 5:11 remaining in the first half for a 24-10 lead.

The Huskies cut it to 27-13 early in the third, but a little over two minutes later, Johnston found Ubosi down the sideline for his third score.

Nick Vogel kicked three field goals for UAB.

"We talk a lot about making history," Clark said. "We talked about it with Tyler and Xavier and we knew we were going to make history. We wanted to finish."

Carey said the loss shouldn't blemish the careers of his senior class.

"It's a reward for a championship team," Carey said. "We want to win. Don't get me wrong. I'm not going to let the narrative be about me. You want to write I'm 0-6 in bowl games, I could take that. I'm a big boy. But that's not what it's about."

UP NEXT

Northern Illinois will be losing 6-foot-6, 320-pound left tackle Max Scharping, an NFL prospect who has started 53 consecutive games. Scharping is finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, given annually to the best scholar-athlete in college football.

UAB will be losing 35 seniors, including 15 starters. Ubosi has played his final game for the Blazers, along with four of five starting offensive linemen, both starting safeties, their middle linebacker and nose tackle. But Johnston and Brown have just begun their collegiate careers.

UAB: 2014-15 Conference USA Men's Basketball Champions

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- UAB coach Jerod Haase couldn't get his team to execute properly -- in the postgame celebration, that is.

Just snip a little piece of the net and hand over the scissors, guys.

Robert Brown scored 22 points to lead UAB, which executed everything else just fine, to a 73-60 victory Saturday over Middle Tennessee for the Blazers' first Conference USA tournament championship.

"The biggest problem we had was when we started cutting down the net," said Haase, who had to run through the drill a few times. "That means it's a pretty good day, because we didn't have a whole lot of problems on the court."

The Blazers (19-15) earned their first NCAA tournament trip since 2011 with a team largely built on underclassmen and without a first- or second-team all-conference pick.

Middle Tennessee (19-16) never made much of a dent in UAB's 11-point halftime lead, which the Blazers eventually doubled.

UAB hit 64 percent from the floor (14-of-22) in the second half and finished with nine 3-pointers.

Brown, the tournament MVP, made half of his eight 3-point attempts. Freshman William Lee was 6-of-8 shooting for 13 points.

Jaqawn Raymond led Middle Tennessee with 12 points. Perrin Buford had 11 points after scoring 29 in the last meeting, which UAB won in triple overtime on Feb. 28.

"No question UAB played like an NCAA tournament team," Middle Tennessee coach Kermit Davis said. "If they get the right seed, they can win a tournament game. Had great guard play. Their inside guys were terrific, and they beat us in every aspect."

Brown and UAB never cooled off after opening the tournament with a one-point win over Western Kentucky and an overtime victory over top-seeded Louisiana Tech, which had erased a 10-point halftime deficit.

"We let Louisiana Tech come back in the game," said Brown, a Virginia Tech transfer. "We just tried to come out and play a 40-minute game instead of a 30-minute game."

With 10 underclassmen, Haase borrowed a message from someone who had spoken to the team during his pregame talk: It's about maintaining good habits, not rising to the occasion for a big game.

"I told the guys before the game, 'We have built good habits, we have done a good job, and tonight we're going to fall back on those habits,'" Haase said.

The Blazers took a 55-39 lead with 11:25 to play with eight straight points after the lead briefly dipped into single digits. Brown started the run with a 3-pointer from the right corner and ended it with a second one from the left corner. Chris Cokley, the league's sixth man of the year, made a jump shot in between.

UAB didn't let up after building the big lead, making nine straight shots and pushing the cushion up to 22 points.

"They were the most physical team tonight," Buford said. "I just feel like we really did get away from what got us here."

STEPPING UP

The win came more than three months after UAB president Ray Watts announced the shutdown of the football program, prompting an outcry from Blazers fans after becoming bowl eligible for the first time in a decade. Some UAB fans chanted "Fire Ray Watts" even down to the final seconds.

The school's signature sport, meanwhile, made the NCAA field for the 15th time.

"I think it is something that can be a rallying cry and a unifying thing for Birmingham and the athletic department," Haase said.

MARATHON TRIP

Davis isn't buying into the theory that Middle Tennessee was worn out playing its fourth game in as many days.

"I don't think we were tired," he said. "I think UAB just made us look tired."

TIP-INS

UAB: Lost its first two C-USA title game appearances in 2003 and 2006. Had assists on 21 of 27 baskets. Outrebounded MTSU 33-22.

Middle Tennessee: Fell to 0-3 in championship games since joining the league. Lost all three meetings with UAB this season. Made 5-of-10 3-pointers in the second half and nine in the game.

UP NEXT

UAB awaits NCAA tournament destination.

Middle Tennessee hopes for an NIT berth.