Dec. 29, 2004

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. --- The UAB women's basketball team tallied the 400th win in the program's history with an 82-61 win over Tennessee State in the opening round of the Blazer Invitational here in Bartow Arena Wednesday evening.

With 15:37 left in the game, UAB (2-9) used a 10-0 run to solidify the win as it was able to increase its lead to 20 (55-35). The Blazers had four different players score during the offensive barrage.

"I was very excited about how everybody stepped up to play," said UAB head coach Audra Smith. "One of the things that we had commented on was that we needed everybody to be a productive factor and everyone that stepped on to the court tonight was a productive factor. I was very proud of how well they played, how intense they were, excited they were about the game and how they stayed in it. We pushed the lead to 14 and Tennessee State cut the lead to five, but we stayed in it and were able to push the lead again. Overall, I was just very pleased by their effort."

The Blazers set seven season highs in the contest, including their best offensive output with 82 points and a season-high 56.1 shooting percentage.

UAB had five players score in double digits, with Domaneice Moore leading the way, as she recorded 16 points. Additionally, nine of the 10 players that entered the game for UAB tallied points.

For the second-straight game, Deirdre Larry tallied a career-high point total, as she bested herself with 15 in tonight's contest. Senior Katie Billue also had a career game with eight points and a career-high 10 rebounds, all of which were defensive boards.

The Blazers shot 61.9 percent in the first half, giving themselves a 37-29 lead at the break. UAB was 13-of-21 from the floor, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. The 37 points were the most the Blazers have scored in the first 20 minutes of play this season. It also marked the first time this season that UAB held a lead at half.

"Slowly but surely it's coming together," said Smith. "We all remember that we have a very young team and with each game we learn different things. We're getting more and more experience as we go along. The pieces are slowly coming together. I think the number one thing is that our confidence level is definitely starting to increase, especially after a win like this."

With the win, UAB advances to the championship game of the tournament, where it will face Furman at 7 p.m. on Thursday. The Lady Paladins defeated Alabama State, 89-48, in the opening game of the tournament. The consolation game will begin at 5 p.m., with the championship game starting at approximately 7 p.m.