UAB surges to C-USA tourney title over MTSU

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Robert Brown scored 22 points and made four 3-pointers to lead UAB to a 73-60 victory Saturday over Middle Tennessee for the Blazers' first Conference USA Tournament championship.

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's Most Valuable Player, 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. Darnell Harris scored 10.

The Blue Raiders scored the game's final eight points after falling behind by as many as 22 points.

Brown and UAB never cooled off after opening the tournament with a one-point win and an overtime victory over top-seeded Louisiana Tech. UAB scored 11 straight points during one first-half stretch.

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 it 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 that cushion up to 22 points.

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. UAB coach Jerod Haase, a former Kansas guard, had been an assistant on 12 NCAA Tournament teams under Roy Williams for the Jayhawks and North Carolina.

TIP-INS

UAB: Had lost its first two C-USA title games in 2006 and 2003. 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. Made 5-of-10 3-pointers in the second half and nine on the game.

UP NEXT

UAB awaits NCAA Tournament destination.

Middle Tennessee hopes for NIT berth.