Nov. 16, 2008

Santa Clara Game Notes
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB men's basketball team, fresh off its season-opening 87-66 win over Troy last Saturday, will waste no time returning to the court. The Blazers will travel to Tucson, Ariz. to compete at the 2008 NIT Season Tipoff when they take on Santa Clara on Monday night at 7 p.m. CT (6 p.m. MT).

The Blazers are the No. 7 seed in this year's event and was placed in the West Regional, hosted by No. 3 seed Arizona. UAB will take on No. 11 seed Santa Clara in the opening contest, while the host Wildcats will square off against No. 15 seed Florida Atlantic in the night cap. The winners of the first round games will meet in the Regional's championship on Tuesday night for the right to go to Madison Square Garden. The losers of the first round will face each other in the early game on Tuesday night.

The Blazers will be competing in their third NIT Season Tipoff in school history when they step onto the court Monday night. UAB has an all-time record of 1-2 in the previous two appearances, the last of which came during the 1989 Preseason NIT when the Blazers fell at Kansas, 109-83.

Senior guard Paul Delaney III led the Blazers with 24 points against the Trojans, while senior forward Lawrence Kinnard added 22 points and 13 rebounds in the victory. Freshman Terrence Roderick also played well in his first game in a UAB uniform, contributing 17 points and eight rebounds off the bench.

The Blazers and Broncos have met on two previous occasions, each team winning on the others home court. UAB defeated Santa Clara 73-62 on Dec. 27, 1991, while the Broncos returned the favor in Birmingham, 80-65, on Dec. 17, 1994.

Monday night's UAB game will not be televised, but can be heard on the Blazer Sports Radio Network, WUHT 107.7 FM with David Crane and Steve Mitchell on the call. Should UAB advance to the championship game, that contest will be televised nationally on ESPN2, in addition to airing live on WUHT.