TAMPA – The UAB Blazers (10-5, 1-0) used an 8-0 run in the second overtime to take a 103-98 lead and slide past the South Florida Bulls, 109-106, in a mystical American Athletic Conference opener for both teams.
Chance Westry led five Blazers in double figures with 24 points, and was followed by Jacob Meyer’s double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds. Quaran McPherson hit four important threes to finish with 17.
Guard Wes Enis paced the Bulls (8-6, 0-1) with 36 points in 49 minutes as he was 10-of-22 from the three-point line. Forward Izaiyah Nelson was a major factor on both ends of the floor as he finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Josh Omojafo recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
“We won the most important category, and that was the one of determination,” Blazers head coach Andy Kennedy said.
The Bulls built four 10-point leads in the second half, and UAB immediately cut these back to one-shot or two-shot margins. Enis hit a three from the right wing to give USF a 76-65 lead with 5:43 left in regulation, but UAB’s Jacob Rivera and Meyer combined for eight points to cut the Bulls’ lead back to 78-76 with 3:13 to play.
“It seemed like every possession for us in the two overtimes and down the stretch of regulation was an and-one for them,” said Bulls head coach Bryan Hodgson. “For us, that’s extremely soft. We let guys score the basket because of poor defense.”
Hodgson noted that the posts didn’t run back to the basket to get in position, and he also wanted his guards to extend and be active on the perimeter.
“We’ve got some excellent leaders in this group, and what we need them to do right now is to bring these young guys along,” said Hodgson. “I had a couple of guys who couldn’t even go today because they didn’t have a very good week of practice. You play like you practice.”
Turnover Turmoil: Hodgson pointed to the Bulls’ turnovers in the clutch as a major problem that allowed UAB to be able to extend the game and eventually win. UAB had 16 points off of 15 USF turnovers, while the Bulls had 14 points off of eight UAB mistakes.
“Costly, costly mistakes down the stretch on both sides of the ball,” Hodgson commented. “Unfortunately, we had a couple of guys who didn’t have a great week of practice, weren’t locked in, so we couldn’t go to them. We had two freshmen out there down the stretch and had five turnovers.”
Bulls’ Roster Dynamics: Wes Enis and Izayiah Nelson delivered consistently all afternoon. Ennis scored eight points in the game’s first five minutes as South Florida took a 12-5 lead with 14:58 remaining in the first half and. He also made back-to-back threes from the right baseline and the top of the key to give South Florida a 61-51 lead with 12:26 remaining in the game.
“Wes does things the right way, and he’s a hard worker,” said Hodgson. “You know you are going to get his best effort. We are going to rely on Wes a lot. He’s a guy who works hard and loses himself in the game, and he is usually going to have success.”
Enis showed his basketball acumen as he picked his spots and made them work in being one of the leaders who know what is applicable for him, given the situations on the floor.
“Coach said to take the open looks and what the offense gives us, and I was able to knock those down,” Enis said.
Nelson’s double-double and his defensive play in the paint were issues for the Blazers, and he was able to dominate the defensive end with his length, physicality, and athleticism.
“The guy is a worker,” commented Hodgson. “Usually, the guys who work and put a lot into this game get a lot out of it. He’s a prime example of that.”
Losing Brown and Omajofo with their talent and experience were major problems in the clutch. Omojafo fouled out with three seconds to play, while Brown was called for his fifth in the middle of the second overtime.
“We had CJ (Brown) and JoMo (Josh Omojafo) who fouled out,” commented Hodgson. “They (UAB) did as well. They had guys who fouled out, and that by no means is an excuse. Where we have to go with that, we have got to have guys on the bench that we can trust to step up and really fill in those spots.”