Mike Ertel extended his double-digit scoring streak to eight games and three other players scored in double figures for the UAB basketball team but even that was not enough against one of the most prolific players in league history.
The Blazers (22-7, 13-5 C-USA) went toe-to-toe with the most talented team in the league but could not complete a late rally in a 64-60 semifinal loss to Western Kentucky in the 2021 C-USA basketball tournament, Friday, March 12, at The Star in Frisco, Texas.
The Hilltoppers will face either Louisiana Tech or North Texas in the C-USA championship game, Saturday, March 13, at 8 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.
“You know our MO,” UAB head coach Andy Kennedy said. “Defensively, all year, we have been about changing and disrupting, keeping people out of rhythm. There were times where we left fruit on the vine, games like today, and it came back to bite us. But you can never question this team’s intensity and fight, and I’m proud to have been a part.”
“I could not be more proud of the guys who represented our program and our university in a first-class manner,” he added. “With really no extracurricular excitement other than the love for one another and the pride in respecting the game.”
The Blazers shot 39 percent from the field, 9-for-12 on free throws and had a plus-8 advantage in the paint. Defensively, UAB allowed the Hilltoppers to shoot 47 percent overall, 10-of-20 from 3-point range and score 17 points off 12 turnovers.
Both teams…
