Saturday, January 4
Birmingham, Ala.
1 p.m.
Tulsa
6-9,0-2AAC
51
at
83
UAB
8-7,1-1AAC
1
2
F
Tulsa
22
29
51
UAB
42
41
83
Blazers Too Much for Hurricane on Saturday
1/4/2025 4:06:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The University of Tulsa men's basketball team's cold shooting made it impossible to keep up with UAB in an 83-51 loss on Saturday afternoon in front of 3,451 fans inside Bartow Arena.
Tulsa (6-9, 0-2 The American) shot just 33.3 percent from the floor and made only 4-of-19 (21.1 percent) 3-point attempts in a season-low scoring effort. UAB (8-7, 1-1 The American) had better success, shooting 49.3 percent from the floor and 31.8 percent on seven made 3-pointers.
The Blazers used a hot first half, making 51.5 percent of its shots and knocking down five 3-pointers, to get the jump on the Hurricane. Tulsa was ice cold from 3-point range, hitting just 1-of-8 (12.5 percent) and making just 9-of-31 (29.0) shots in the opening half as UAB took a commanding 42-22 lead to the locker room.
The lead quickly expanded in the second half as the Blazers got ahead by 32 in the first five minutes. Tulsa wouldn't get closer than 25 the rest of the way as UAB eventually pushed the lead to 35 before Tyler Behrend's first career 3-pointer gave the game its final score.
Freshman Ian Smikle was the lone Hurricane to score in double figures, recording a career-high 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting. He was a consistent figure throughout, with eight points and four rebounds in the first half, and nine and four in the second. Dwon Odom had nine and Jesaiah McWright added seven, including a pair of 3-pointers.
Smikle's eight rebounds were also a team high as UAB won the battle on the glass 43-35. Braeden Carrington and Matt Reed each added five.
UAB was led in scoring by 27 from Alejandro Vasquez, who knocked down four from long range. The tandem of Christian Coleman and Ja'Borri McGhee added 14 and 12. Coleman completed his double-double with a team-high 13 rebounds. Tulsa limited preseason conference player of the year Yaxel Lendeborg to nine points, but he also pulled down 11 rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
IN THE FIRST HALF…
UAB opened with the first four points of the game, both in the paint. Ian Smikle got Tulsa on the board with a layup off a feed from Dwon Odom, and then Odom leveled the score with a jumper.
Tied at 8, UAB's Ja'Borri McGhee connected on the game's first 3-pointer, starting an 8-0 run that forced a Tulsa timeout with 13:47 to play. The Hurricane shooting woes continued after the timeout, as the Hurricane was just one-of-7 spanning the run and UAB expanded the run to 12-2 and took a 20-10 lead at the 11:13 media timeout.
Jesaiah McWright snapped a nearly three-minute Tulsa scoring drought with a 3-pointer to cut the UAB lead to 22-13 with 9:13 on the clock. But the Hurricane never found its offensive rhythm in the opening half as UAB outscored the Hurricane 20-9 over the final nine minutes.
Odom was fouled on a 3-pointer near the end of the half and connected on all three at the line to send the teams to the half with UAB leading 42-22.
Tulsa shot just 29.3 percent from the floor and 12.5 percent on 3-pointers, making only one of eight attempts. On the other end, UAB knocked down more than 50 percent of its efforts and shot 45.5 percent on 3-pointers, making five.
Smikle led TU with eight first half points and four rebounds. Odom was the lone other Hurricane with more than one field goal in the opening stanza.
IN THE SECOND HALF …
Five minutes into the second half and UAB advanced its lead past 30, 58-26 thanks to a 16-4 run to open the period.
The Hurricane never got the lead under 25 for the remainder of the game, the last with 7:16 to play after McWright made a layup to cut the deficit to 69-44.
From there, Tulsa was outscored 14-7 as the lead got as high as 35, 83-48. Tyler Behrend made his first 3-pointer of the season to end the scoring.
Tulsa shot better in the second half, making 37.9 of its efforts from the floor and 27.3 on 3-pointers. UAB cooled off a bit, hitting 47.1 percent of its shots and only making 18.2 percent from long range (2-of-11).
Smikle led Tulsa in the second period with nine points and four rebounds. The freshman added a pair of steals and an assist. No other Tulsa player made more than one field goal in the second half.
GAME NOTES
• UAB leads series 11-7
• Tulsa is 0-8 against the Blazers in Birmingham
• 51 points is the lowest this season and fifth lowest in Konkol era.
• Ian Smikle was the lone Golden Hurricane to score in double figures, recording a career-high 17 points.
• This was Smikle's third game to score in double figures this season.
• Smikle also led the Hurricane with eight rebounds.
• Over his past four games, Smikle is averaging 11.3 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting 69.2 percent from the floor.
• Tulsa is 0-8 this season after trailing at halftime.
• Keaston Willis' streak of games with multiple 3-pointers ended at eight.
The Golden Hurricane stays on the road as Tulsa travels to San Antonio to take on UTSA Tuesday evening. Tipoff against the Roadrunners is set for 7 p.m. and will air on ESPN+.
Tulsa (6-9, 0-2 The American) shot just 33.3 percent from the floor and made only 4-of-19 (21.1 percent) 3-point attempts in a season-low scoring effort. UAB (8-7, 1-1 The American) had better success, shooting 49.3 percent from the floor and 31.8 percent on seven made 3-pointers.
The Blazers used a hot first half, making 51.5 percent of its shots and knocking down five 3-pointers, to get the jump on the Hurricane. Tulsa was ice cold from 3-point range, hitting just 1-of-8 (12.5 percent) and making just 9-of-31 (29.0) shots in the opening half as UAB took a commanding 42-22 lead to the locker room.
The lead quickly expanded in the second half as the Blazers got ahead by 32 in the first five minutes. Tulsa wouldn't get closer than 25 the rest of the way as UAB eventually pushed the lead to 35 before Tyler Behrend's first career 3-pointer gave the game its final score.
Freshman Ian Smikle was the lone Hurricane to score in double figures, recording a career-high 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting. He was a consistent figure throughout, with eight points and four rebounds in the first half, and nine and four in the second. Dwon Odom had nine and Jesaiah McWright added seven, including a pair of 3-pointers.
Smikle's eight rebounds were also a team high as UAB won the battle on the glass 43-35. Braeden Carrington and Matt Reed each added five.
UAB was led in scoring by 27 from Alejandro Vasquez, who knocked down four from long range. The tandem of Christian Coleman and Ja'Borri McGhee added 14 and 12. Coleman completed his double-double with a team-high 13 rebounds. Tulsa limited preseason conference player of the year Yaxel Lendeborg to nine points, but he also pulled down 11 rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
IN THE FIRST HALF…
UAB opened with the first four points of the game, both in the paint. Ian Smikle got Tulsa on the board with a layup off a feed from Dwon Odom, and then Odom leveled the score with a jumper.
Tied at 8, UAB's Ja'Borri McGhee connected on the game's first 3-pointer, starting an 8-0 run that forced a Tulsa timeout with 13:47 to play. The Hurricane shooting woes continued after the timeout, as the Hurricane was just one-of-7 spanning the run and UAB expanded the run to 12-2 and took a 20-10 lead at the 11:13 media timeout.
Jesaiah McWright snapped a nearly three-minute Tulsa scoring drought with a 3-pointer to cut the UAB lead to 22-13 with 9:13 on the clock. But the Hurricane never found its offensive rhythm in the opening half as UAB outscored the Hurricane 20-9 over the final nine minutes.
Odom was fouled on a 3-pointer near the end of the half and connected on all three at the line to send the teams to the half with UAB leading 42-22.
Tulsa shot just 29.3 percent from the floor and 12.5 percent on 3-pointers, making only one of eight attempts. On the other end, UAB knocked down more than 50 percent of its efforts and shot 45.5 percent on 3-pointers, making five.
Smikle led TU with eight first half points and four rebounds. Odom was the lone other Hurricane with more than one field goal in the opening stanza.
IN THE SECOND HALF …
Five minutes into the second half and UAB advanced its lead past 30, 58-26 thanks to a 16-4 run to open the period.
The Hurricane never got the lead under 25 for the remainder of the game, the last with 7:16 to play after McWright made a layup to cut the deficit to 69-44.
From there, Tulsa was outscored 14-7 as the lead got as high as 35, 83-48. Tyler Behrend made his first 3-pointer of the season to end the scoring.
Tulsa shot better in the second half, making 37.9 of its efforts from the floor and 27.3 on 3-pointers. UAB cooled off a bit, hitting 47.1 percent of its shots and only making 18.2 percent from long range (2-of-11).
Smikle led Tulsa in the second period with nine points and four rebounds. The freshman added a pair of steals and an assist. No other Tulsa player made more than one field goal in the second half.
GAME NOTES
• UAB leads series 11-7
• Tulsa is 0-8 against the Blazers in Birmingham
• 51 points is the lowest this season and fifth lowest in Konkol era.
• Ian Smikle was the lone Golden Hurricane to score in double figures, recording a career-high 17 points.
• This was Smikle's third game to score in double figures this season.
• Smikle also led the Hurricane with eight rebounds.
• Over his past four games, Smikle is averaging 11.3 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting 69.2 percent from the floor.
• Tulsa is 0-8 this season after trailing at halftime.
• Keaston Willis' streak of games with multiple 3-pointers ended at eight.
The Golden Hurricane stays on the road as Tulsa travels to San Antonio to take on UTSA Tuesday evening. Tipoff against the Roadrunners is set for 7 p.m. and will air on ESPN+.
Team Stats
Tulsa
UAB
FG%
.333
.493
3FG%
.211
.318
FT%
.538
.909
RB
35
43
TO
14
11
STL
10
6
Game Leaders
Pts
17
FGM
8
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
7
FGM
2
3FGM
2
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
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