The Blazers (19-6, 9-3 C-USA) have won four of their past five games in Bartow Arena by 21 points or more and will look to avenge their 85-80 loss to the Owls from earlier this season. UAB will look to not only notch its 10th Conference USA victory of the season, but also its 20th overall win in 2021-22. The win would also give head coach Andy Kennedy his 12th 20-win season as a collegiate head coach.
UAB holds a 17-3 overall record against the Owls and a 9-1 advantage in matchups played in Birmingham. Rice (14-10, 6-6 C-USA) stormed back from a 10-point deficit in the second half to rally past the Blazers on Jan. 8 in Houston.
UAB LATELY
UAB (19-6, 9-3 C-USA) dropped its most recent matchup at Old Dominion on Sunday, forcing a season-low seven turnovers in the setback in Norfolk, Virginia. Jordan Walker continued his hot streak on Sunday, setting a new UAB record with nine straight games with 20 or more points with 20 points and seven assists at Old Dominion. KJ Buffen logged his sixth double-double of the season in the loss, tallying 11 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Quan Jackson continued his strong run of performances with 17 points, eight rebounds and a steal on Sunday, making it seven straight games in double figures since scoring a career-high 29 points against Florida Atlantic on Jan. 15. UAB is a perfect 5-0 following a loss this season and 10-1 overall since Andy Kennedy took over at his alma mater.
RICE LATELY
Rice (14-10, 6-6 C-USA) is 3-2 in its past five games, winning Conference USA matchups at Southern Miss and at home against UTSA by double digits during that five-game span. The Owls excel at sharing the basketball, ranking first in Conference USA and 21st nationally with 16.3 assists per game. Rice also ranks top 25 nationally and first in Conference USA in 3-point field-goal percentage, knocking down 37.9% of its attempts from behind the arc. Two Owls average over double figures in scoring this season -- guards Carl Pierre (14.8) and Travis Evee (14.4). Evee tallied a season-high 25 points against the Blazers in UAB's loss to the Owls in Houston on Jan. 8, converting 13-of-14 shots from the foul line. The Owls are 4-4 on the road this season, splitting their most road trip with a win at Southern Miss and an 80-63 loss at Louisiana Tech on Jan. 27.
PREVIOUS 10 MATCHUPS IN THE SERIES
2/14/15_ at Rice_______________________ L, 73-82
1/21/16_ Rice________________________ W, 82-70
1/7/17__ at Rice______________________ W, 88-81
2/10/18_ Rice________________________ W, 61-56
1/26/19_ at Rice______________________ W, 89-86
2/6/20__ Rice_________________________ L, 72-86
1/22/21_ Rice________________________ W, 78-68
1/23/21_ Rice________________________ W, 86-74
3/11/21_ vs. Rice______________________ W, 73-60
1/8/22__ at Rice_______________________ L, 80-85
OUR HOUSE, OUR RULES
With only three home games left to play in Bartow Arena, the Blazers hold a perfect 14-0 record in their on-campus home. All 14 of UAB's wins in Bartow Arena have come by double digits, sporting an average margin of victory of 28 points.
STACKING UP NICELY IN THE LEAGUE
UAB ranked first among Conference USA programs in a number of different team statistical categories entering C-USA play on Dec. 30, including scoring offense (82.2 points per game), scoring margin (21.2), steals per game (12.4) and turnover margin (8.6). Entering Thursday's slate of league games, UAB ranks first in the league in field-goal percentage defense (40.6%), scoring margin (15.9), scoring offense (81.0), steals per game (10.3), total steals (258), turnover margin (6.1), turnovers forced per game (17.04) and fewest turnovers committed per game (10.9).
BLOCK CANCER GAME: THE MIKE SLIVE FOUNDATION
Thursday night's game against the Owls is one of the Mike Slive Foundation's 28 "Block Cancer" games across the country. UAB players and coaches will be wearing special shirts and/or pullovers to raise awareness for the Mike Slive Foundation and its ongoing fight to cure prostate cancer. For more information on the Mike Slive Foundation and its "Block Cancer" initiative, visit https://mikeslivefoundation.org/block-cancer/.
15-0 IN BARTOW TICKET PROMOTION
As UAB goes for a perfect 15-0 start in Bartow Arena, the UAB Athletics Ticket Office will be introducing a special rate for Thursday's game against Rice. Tickets in select lower level seats are available for just $15, while two tickets in the upper level are also available for just $15. For more information on this offer, click here.
RADIO
Blazer men's basketball games are set to air on 100.5 ESPN JOX 2 with David Crane and Murry Bartow on the call.
In addition, Crane will host Blazer Sportsline every Tuesday beginning Dec. 28. The show takes place live from Iron City Grill in downtown Birmingham and features men's basketball head coach Andy Kennedy and women's basketball head coach Randy Norton.
The nine-episode show, airs from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Blazer Sportsline can be heard on 100.5 ESPN JOX 2 and fans will be encouraged to tweet questions to @UABLearfield.
Fans may also follow the Blazers this season by downloading the free TuneIn Radio app, online through Blazers All-Access at UABSports.com, or on the UAB Gameday mobile app.
WATCH
Thursday's game will be carried live on Stadium. Noah Coslov (play-by-play) and Tim Scarborough (analyst) will be on the call.
UP NEXT
The Blazers will conclude their two-game home stand with a matchup against Conference USA leader North Texas (18-4, 11-1 C-USA) on Saturday afternoon. Saturday's tipoff against the Mean Green is set for 3 p.m. and will be carried live on Stadium. The Blazers will wear their white uniforms in Saturday's game for their "White Out" matchup in Bartow Arena.
"STEAL MILL" T-SHIRTS FOR SATURDAY'S WHITE OUT
As Saturday's showdown against North Texas approaches, UAB will hand out 4,500 white "Steal Mill" T-Shirts for its "White Out" matchup against the Mean Green. Saturday's T-Shirts are sponsored by the UAB Bookstore.
WHITE OUT AND BOOK DRIVE
Saturday's game against North Texas will also feature a book drive. Fans can donate a book as they arrive at Bartow Arena and receive a discounted ticket rate of just $10 for an upper level seat to Saturday's matchup against the Mean Green. For more information on this offer, click here.
MEN'S BASKETBALL TICKET INFORMATION
UAB men's basketball single-game tickets start as low as $12 and can be purchased by clicking here or calling the UAB Athletics Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1.
Discounted group tickets and fan experiences are available for a minimum purchase of 15 tickets to any home basketball game during the 2021-22 season. Groups are encouraged to complete the UAB Basketball Group Ticket Request Form or call the UAB Athletics Ticket Office for more information.
