Jefferson Reporter

The Blazers are champions. The Blazers are going back to the Big Dance.

 

For the 16th time in program history, the UAB men's basketball team is heading to the NCAA Tournament following an 82-73 win over Louisiana Tech in Saturday's Conference USA Championship Game. The win is UAB's sixth conference tournament title victory in program history and the first since the Blazers cut down the nets in Birmingham back in 2015.

 

Four Blazers reached double figures in the historic victory – Jordan Walker (27), Michael Ertel (15), KJ Buffen (13) and Tavin Lovan (11). Walker, the Conference USA Tournament Most Valuable Player, scored 18 of his 27 points in the first half to help UAB build a 43-33 lead entering the halftime break.

 

The Blazers expanded their lead to as many as 19 points in the first half when Quan Jackson converted a layup in the paint, expanding UAB's lead to 43-24 with 2:11 left in the opening half. Louisiana Tech (24-10) would trim the halftime deficit to 10 points in the game's final two minutes, capping off the half with a dunk from center Kenneth Lofton, Jr., who led LA Tech with 23 points and nine rebounds.

 

Ertel was the story of the second half, scoring 11 of his 15 points in the game's final 20 minutes to help preserve UAB's first-half advantage. Nine of Ertel's 11 points in the second half came from behind the 3-point line, knocking down three huge triples for the Green and Gold.

 

LA Tech would trim UAB's lead to three points with 2:07 remaining, but Walker and Buffen helped ice Saturday's game from the foul line and in the paint. Walker extended UAB's lead back to five points at 75-70 with a pair of free throws before Buffen stretched UAB's advantage to seven with a layup to make it 77-70 Blazers with 1:04 remaining.

 

In just his second season back at his alma mater, head coach Andy Kennedy brings the Blazers back to the NCAA Tournament. Kennedy's win not only brings the Blazers back to the Big Dance, but it also sets a UAB single-season record for most wins in a single season (27).

 

"The Gene Bartow Standard is this," head coach Andy Kennedy said. "It's when guys have pieces of a net in their hats.

 

"We've got an MVP. We've got a conference tournament trophy. And we're getting an opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament."

 

Walker, Ertel and Jackson all earned a spot on the Conference USA All-Tournament Team following their standout weekends in Frisco. All three averaged double digits in scoring in the C-USA Tournament.

 

UAB (27-7) will know its opening-round matchup in less than a day, but for now, the Blazers will celebrate the night that brought a banner back home to Birmingham.