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The first game between Middle Tennessee and UAB 1986
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Post: #1
The first game between Middle Tennessee and UAB 1986
From my Blazer History blog


http://blazerhistory.tumblr.com


Today in Blazer History - January 11, 2014 - Middle Tennessee

Today UAB is playing at Middle Tennessee in the Blue Raiders first game in Conference USA.
The Blazers are 4-2 in games played on January 11. They are 2-1 in games played on the road on this date with two wins at Houston in 1997 and 2003 and a loss to Marquette in 1992. The last game played on this date was a two point loss to Marshall at home in 2012.

The Date:
As we welcome Middle Tennessee to CUSA in their first conference game, today we will look like at another opponent’s first game in Conference USA. On this date in 2006, UAB welcomed Tulsa to CUSA in a game played at Bartow Arena. UAB was 10-3 entering the game and riding a six game winning streak. Tulsa was 5-8 entering their first CUSA game. The game also matched Blazer coach Mike Anderson against the team he played for and help to lead to the 1981 NIT championship while playing for Coach Nolan Richardson.

UAB started off slowly and fell behind 9-4, but a jump shot by Lawrence Kinnard gave UAB a 12-11 lead and the Blazers never looked back. An 18-0 run late in the first half helped UAB to a 47-23 halftime lead.

The second half was more of the same as the Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball worked its pressure defense on the hapless Hurricanes. The Blazers led by as many as 38 points in the second half. UAB cruised to a 84-54 win over Tulsa and forced a CUSA record 39 turnovers and the Steal Mill produced 21 steals. Tulsa had outrebounded the Blazers 44-22 and had shot 52.4% from the field. However, UAB scored 54 points off of Tulsa’s turnovers while Tulsa scored only two points off of the Blazers eight turnovers.

Squeaky Johnson led the Blazers with 13 points, five assists and four steals. Lawrence Kinnard had ten points for the Blazers.

The Opponent:
UAB has played Middle Tennessee every year since the 2009-10 season. They will now play the Blue Raiders as conference opponents for the foreseeable future. The Blazers are 5-1 against Middle Tennessee with the only loss coming last year in Murfreesboro by the score of 84-64. UAB looks to avenge that loss today.

The best game played against Middle Tennessee was the first one back on December 30, 1986. The game was the championship game of the UAB Classic and shows that sometimes the best laid plans do not work out.

Gene Bartow must have been very proud of his lineup for the UAB Classic Tournament that year. He had attracted Michigan with Glen Rice, Gary Grant and Antoine Joubert to play in the tournament. The Wolverines were 28-5 the previous season and were 7-2 coming into the tournament. Throw in two cupcakes for the first round, and the Blazers would be playing the Wolverines for the championship. That would get a good crowd to the BJCC. Also coming to town for the supposed Blazer-Wolverine matchup was ESPN and Dick Vitale. However, no one expected Middle Tennessee State to throw off the cupcake mantle and become a giant killer. In the first round, Middle Tennessee State upset Michigan by the score of 85-83 as Glen Rice’s three point shot rimmed out at the buzzer. Bartow’s dream matchup and full house fell short. The Blazers handled their first round opponent, Alaska Anchorage with ease, and prepared to take on the party-pooping Blue Raiders.

UAB led most of the night, however, hot shooting by MTSU from the new three point line kept them close. UAB had a six point lead with 1:54 left in the game, but Middle Tennessee State hit a three pointer and a two pointer to cut it to one. The Blazers got it back to three on two free throws, but with 13 seconds left, the Blue Raiders tied the game at 77, sending the game to overtime.

In overtime, James Ponder took control, hitting 12 of the first 14 points, but again that newfangled three point shot kept MTSU in the game. From the final 1:42 of regulation until the end of overtime, they hit 5 out of 6 three pointers. “I didn’t like the three point shot when the rules committee put it in,” Bartow said after the game. “I like it even less now”. The game came down to a two point UAB lead with three seconds left and freshman Barry Bearden at the line. Bartow had sent his entire team to the other end to avoid a foul, so Bearden was surrounded by MTSU players at the line. He missed both free throws, but in a stroke of luck, the second miss came hard off the back of the rim, and the only Blazer in the area, Bearden got his own rebound. The game was over and UAB had won 93-91 on national TV. Eddie Collins was the leading scorer with 27 points. James Ponder had 25 points.

Middle Tennessee would turn out to be a good win and not a tight game against a cupcake. The Blue Raiders would finish the season 19-7 and receive an at large bid to the 1987 NCAA tournament.
01-11-2014 09:00 AM
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TG4 Offline
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Post: #2
RE: The first game between Middle Tennessee and UAB 1986
Headed to Murfreesboro around noon. Quick bite at Toot's and then on to Murphy Center.

Let's go Blue!!!!!
01-11-2014 09:03 AM
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