Chargers Defeat Union
On February - 28 - 2014ADD COMMENTS
Conner Blasi scored 22 in his penultimate game at Spragins Hall, leading the University of Alabama in Huntsville men’s basketball team to a 77-69, come-from-behind victory over Union on Thursday night in Gulf South Conference action. The Chargers improve to 15-11 (11-8 Gulf South Conference), while Union slips to 11-14 (7-12 GSC). Blasi was joined by three other Chargers who scored in double figures with Greg Gardner going 10-of-12 from the charity stripe en route to scoring 19, while Wayne Dedrick added 12 and Andrew Donovan chipped in with 10. UAH found itself trailing 60-55 with just under seven minutes to play in the game, but a pair of free throws from both Blasi and Gardner made it a one-point game before Gardner made a layup fall at 3:53 to put the Chargers up at 61-60. Continuing what ended up being a 15-2 run, Ronnie Mack hit back-to-back 3-pointers, Gardner added another free throw, and Blasi then brought down the house with a thunderous dunk that put the Chargers up 70-62 with 2:08 left in the contest. The Chargers would then hit seven free throws down the stretch to not allow Union to pull any closer than seven while expanding the lead to as many as 10 in the waning moments. The visitors enjoyed the lead for much of the contest prior to the big second half surge for UAH, using a 51.9 percent shooting performance in the first half – including an 8-of-14 showing from beyond the arc – to build up a 39-34 advantage at the half.
Union then cooled down considerably in the second stanza, connected on just 26.7 percent from 3-point land while shooting 30.6 percent overall to finish the night shooting just under 40 percent while the Chargers ended the evening hitting 42.9 percent of their attempts. Also holding a slim advantage on the glass was UAH as Blasi and Dedrick both grabbed seven boards to help UAH lead 37-36. Both teams protected the ball on the night as the Chargers committed just two first half turnovers before finishing the night with eight, while Union turned it over seven times overall.
The Chargers will now turn their attention to rival North Alabama who visits Saturday evening. Tip-off at Spragins Hall is set for 7 p.m.
Gameday Central
On February - 27 - 2014ADD COMMENTS
Chargers Defeat Lee on the Road
On February - 25 - 2014ADD COMMENTS
The University of Alabama in Huntsville men’s basketball team hung on for an important road win on Saturday night, defeating host Lee 59-52 in the team’s final road Gulf South Conference contest of the season. The Chargers improve to 14-11 (10-8 GSC), while Lee slips to 9-14 (5-12 GSC). Four players scored in double figures for the Chargers with Ronnie Mack leading the way with 13 points, while senior Andrew Donovan hit three big shots from beyond the arc en route to scoring 11. Both Conner Blasi and Greg Gardner chipped in with 10, and it was that pair that was especially key in the game’s waning moments. With the Chargers up by just four and the clock rolling under 45 seconds to play, Blasi found himself surrounded by four Lee players after a missed UAH shot, and the 6-9 senior beat them all to grab a key offensive rebound before subsequently being fouled. After making the UAH lead 57-51 by sinking both free throws, Blasi then swatted away Cory Billingsley’s attempt at the other end, and after Billingsley collected the offensive board, he missed another attempt that was gathered up by Gardner who was fouled and made both at the charity stripe to put the contest out of reach. Both finished a perfect 4-for-4 at the foul line, and Gardner dished out five assists for the game while Blasi grabbed a team-best five rebounds. The contest was not always a tight one as UAH led 32-19 at the half, and the guests pushed the lead out to 20 at 39-19 with a 7-0 run to start the second half, but Lee would outscore UAH by a 33-20 margin the rest of the way to create the interesting ending. After shooting 45.5 percent in the first half, UAH ended the contest shooting 39.6 percent, but the team’s terrific defensive effort held Lee to a field goal percentage of 29.8 percent for the game. The hosts – who were coming off of a 71-69 upset of second-place West Alabama – did handily outrebound UAH, grabbing 42 rebounds compared to 27 for the Chargers. Bryce Copeland led the Flames with 14 points, while Chad Lee scored eight and registered 10 rebounds. The Chargers will now return home for the final week of the regular season, hosting Union at 7:30 Thursday night before welcoming rival North Alabama at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
Charger Fall at West Alabama
On February - 25 - 2014ADD COMMENTS
The University of Alabama in Huntsville men’s basketball team dropped a conference game at West Alabama on Tuesday night, falling 63-53 at Pruitt Hall. The Chargers slip to 13-11 (9-8 Gulf South Conference), while UWA improves to 15-8 (12-5 GSC). On the strength of a 6-for-10 performance from the field, Seab Webster lead UAH with 17 points as he connected on three 3-pointers, and Wayne Dedrick joined him in double figures with 15 points. The difference in the game came at the charity stripe where UAH went 8-for-14 compared to a 17-for-22 night for the hosts. The Chargers shot 40.4 percent for the night from the field while playing strong defense that limited West Alabama to a shooting percentage of 32.8 percent. Desmond Raymond led the Tigers with 19 points while Lleon Tillman notched a double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds to help UWA outrebound the Chargers by a 39-34 margin. UAH held the first lead of the contest, leading 10-7 at the 13:55 mark of the opening half before UWA went on a 10-0 run over nearly five minutes that allowed the hosts to take a 17-10 lead with just over nine minutes remaining until the half, and West Alabama would lead at the break by a 23-20 margin after UAH scored seven of the final eight points of the period.The advantage for UWA would grow to as many as 11 in the second half, and the visitors would be able to pull no closer than four down the stretch.
Concluding the three-game road swing, UAH will return to action on Saturday at Lee. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. CST. (Courtesy of UAHChargers.com)
Gameday Central
On February - 15 - 2014ADD COMMENTS
Chargers Defeat Hawks
On February - 14 - 2014ADD COMMENTS
Conner Blasi recorded a triple-double, Wayne Dedrick buried seven 3-pointers, and the University of Alabama in Huntsville men’s basketball team blew past visiting Shorter 108-70 on Thursday evening at Kelly Court at Spragins Hall. UAH improves to 13-9 (9-6 Gulf South Conference), while Shorter falls to 8-13 (5-10 GSC). Blasi finished the contest with 18 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds as he became just the ninth player in Division II to perform the triple-double feat. The Fort Wayne, Ind., native was terrific from the floor, shooting 8-of-11 on the night, and he also blocked a pair of shots for good measure while not turning the ball over. The triple-double is the first for a UAH player since former Charger Josh Magette recorded one on Feb. 25, 2012.
Helping the team to an outrageous 22-of-35 showing from downtown, Dedrick hit the career-best seven triples en route to scoring a game-best 25 points, and he had 16 of his points by the halftime break.
The pair of terrific performances helped the Chargers lead for the entire night, with the team building up a 53-32 advantage at the half before securing the 38-point margin of victory at the conclusion of the contest. Three other Chargers scored in double figures with Taylor Chapman going 5-of-5 from the floor to score 12 points to continue his recent torrid play off the bench, and bothSeab Webster and Spencer Palmer scored 10.
Each of the 12 players on UAH’s roster scored in the contest – and nine of them recorded a successful shot from beyond the arc – en route to UAH shooting 64.5 percent from the floor compared to a 40.3 percent mark for the visiting Hawks. With Blasi’s 10 leading the way and freshman Troy Saxton establishing a season-high five, the Chargers also won the night’s battle on the glass, grabbing 36 rebounds compared to Shorter’s 27.
Game is Still On!
On February - 13 - 2014ADD COMMENTS
Big Home Win
On February - 10 - 2014ADD COMMENTS
Winning for the sixth time in its past eight games, the University of Alabama in Huntsville men’s basketball team defeated visiting Valdosta State 73-62 on Saturday evening at Kelly Court at Spragins Hall. The win improves the Chargers to 12-9 (8-6 Gulf South Conference), while VSU slips to 12-7 (6-7 GSC). The win marked the 10th of the year at home for UAH where the team is 10-2 on the season. A trio of Chargers scored in double figures on the night with Seab Webster leading the way with 17 to go along with a team-best seven rebounds. The Madison County High School product has led the team in scoring in the past two games, and he is second on the squad with an average of 14.0 points per game in the team’s last five contests.
Joining him in double figures on this night were Ronnie Mack and Conner Blasi who both scored 14. Greg Gardner chipped in with nine while also adding four assists and five rebounds, and strong off the bench for a second straight game, Taylor Chapman scored eight key points.
The Chargers – who shot 52.1 percent for the game while limiting the Blazers to a shooting mark of 30.9 percent – fell behind by as many as nine points in the first half, but a strong close to the period made the contest a tight affair at the half. Trailing 34-25 at the 5:01 mark, UAH held Valdosta State scoreless through the end of the stanza and scored seven to make it 34-32 when the teams went into the locker room at the conclusion of the first 20 minutes.
A 12-3 run out of the break – including a Blasi layup that put the Chargers in front – produced a 44-37 advantage for the hosts, and though VSU would narrow the gap to just three at 60-57 at the 3:29 mark, UAH would connect on nine free throws down the stretch en route to outscoring the visitors 13-5 in the final three minutes to pick up the victory.
Valdosta State was led on the day by Jalen Crawford who scored 12, while Colin Cook grabbed 13 rebounds to help the Blazers hold a 42-32 edge in rebounding.
Gameday Central
On February - 8 - 2014ADD COMMENTS
Chargers Down Argos
On February - 7 - 2014ADD COMMENTS
Freshman Seab Webster scored a season-best 23 points on Thursday night, helping the University of Alabama in Huntsville men’s basketball team defeat visiting West Florida by an 81-71 score at Kelly Court at Spragins Hall. The Chargers improve to 11-9 (7-6 GSC) with the victory, while UWF slips to 3-14 (2-9 GSC).
Webster scored 12 of his points in the first half, going 4-for-5 from the field to help UAH shoot 45.8 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes, but the visiting Argos outperformed the Chargers by a 16-8 margin in second-chance points during the period to hold a 32-27 advantage at the halftime break.
The Chargers would erase the halftime deficit in short order in the second stanza as UAH opened the half on a 10-1 run – with half of the points coming from Spencer Palmer – to grab a 37-33 lead at the 17:43 mark, but West Florida responded and would go back on top by four at 50-46 with 11:35 remaining. Webster and the Chargers bench then took the game over, outscoring West Florida 17-3 over the next 4:42.
The run was started by a Webster old-fashioned 3-point play, and it was a thunderous dunk by the Gurley, Ala., native that put UAH back in front at 53-52 during the spurt.Taylor Chapman had two key layups during the stretch, and the run also featured timely 3-pointers from both Troy Saxton and Garrett Cosgrove as the hosts grabbed a 63-53 lead with just over seven minutes left in the game. UAH’s advantage would grow to as much as 17 points down the stretch as the Chargers snapped their two-game slide with the victory. Webster was joined in double figures on the night by Ronnie Mack who scored 14 and Conner Blasi who added 10 while matching Webster with a team-best six rebounds.
The squad moved the ball well in the game, particularly in the second half when it committed just five turnovers, and Chapman led UAH in the game with seven of the team’s 23 assists. For the contest, UAH shot 54.5 percent and connected on 10 3-pointers, while West Florida shot 44.4 percent. The Chargers also won the battle on the glass in the contest, grabbing 34 rebounds while allowing UWF to snag 30.
UAH will now continue its homestand on Saturday when Valdosta State visits. The contest is slated for a 5 p.m. start inside Spragins Hall.
Gameday Central
On February - 6 - 2014ADD COMMENTS
Chargers Tripped up by #15 Delta State
On February - 3 - 2014ADD COMMENTS
In a defensive struggle on Saturday evening, the University of Alabama in Huntsville men’s basketball team fell 59-51 in Gulf South Conference action to No. 15 Delta State. The Chargers slip to 10-9 (6-6 GSC), while DSU improves to 17-2 (10-1 GSC). Neither team was particularly productive in the first half as Delta State shot 39.1 percent while UAH connected on just 25.0 percent of its attempts as the Statesmen took a 22-17 lead into the locker room at the break.
The second half was one of runs as the Chargers went on a 13-3 run to start the second half, grabbing a 30-25 lead after Greg Gardner hit a triple for three of his 13 points, but Delta State would respond with a 22-7 stretch of its own to go ahead 47-37 at the 5:38 mark. The Chargers would whittle the deficit down to 55-51 with just under 50 seconds left in the game, but DSU was able to knock down four free throws while holding UAH scoreless to capture the 59-51 victory.
Seab Webster joined Gardner in double figures for the Chargers, and the freshman from Gurley, Ala., also grabbed 10 rebounds to record his first-ever double-double. Delta State featured three players in double figures, led by Willie Readus who scored 16 while grabbing 15 rebounds to help Delta State own a 46-34 edge on the glass. The Statesmen also held the advantage shooting on the evening, hitting 36.0 percent of its attempts compared to 28.8 percent for the Chargers. UAH will now look forward to returning home for the first time in more than two weeks when the Chargers welcome West Florida on Thursday. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.
Chargers Drop Contest to Christian Brothers
On February - 3 - 2014ADD COMMENTS
The University of Alabama in Huntsville men’s basketball dropped a 70-58 decision on the road at Christian Brothers in Gulf South Conference action on Thursday night. The Chargers drop to 10-8 (6-5 GSC), while the Bucs improve to 10-7 (6-5 GSC). The win marked the 500th career victory for Christian Brothers head coach Mike Nienaber.
Conner Blasi was especially strong in the first half as he went 4-for-5 from the field and scored 14 of his 22 points in the period, but Christian Brothers used a 57.1 shooting percentage in the half to hold a 30-28 advantage at the halftime break. The Charger deficit grew to nine at 44-35 with just under 15 minutes to play in the contest, but the visitors responded with a 15-8 run over the next eight minutes to pull back within two at 52-50 at the 6:26 mark. Christian Brothers proceeded to then hold UAH scoreless for the next 4:37 to establish a 12-point advantage with 1:49 remaining, effectively sealing the contest for the hosts.
Joining Blasi in double figures was Wayne Dedrick who scored 10, while Cory McArthy led a group of four double-digit scorers for CBU as he scored 20.
Christian Brothers finished the contest shooting 55.0 percent from the floor – including a 46.7 percent showing from beyond the arc – while the Chargers shot just 3-for-19 from downtown en route to shooting 39.1 percent.
Gameday Central
On January - 30 - 2014ADD COMMENTS
Rivalry Win
On January - 27 - 2014ADD COMMENTS
Wayne Dedrick scored a career-best 36 points, and the University of Alabama in Huntsville men’s basketball team held on for a thrilling 89-86 over host North Alabama on Saturday afternoon at Flowers Hall. The win improves UAH to 10-7 (6-4 Gulf South Conference), while UNA slips to 10-8 (4-6 GSC). Scoring 23 of his 36 in the first half, Dedrick finished the night hitting 13 shots from the field including a strong 5-of-10 from beyond the arc while also collecting a team-best eight rebounds, and the scoring output marks the best performance by a Charger this season. UAH would end up needing all of Dedrick’s points as the hosts would battle back from a 14-point deficit in the second half and pull to within one on a pair of occasions late in the game, but with the Chargers clinging to a 74-73 lead at the 3:54 mark, UAH would go on a critical 9-2 run to make it 83-75 with just over 1:30 left in the game. The run was spurred by a clutch 3-pointer from Spencer Palmer and included an old-fashioned 3-point play by Dedrick. UNA would pull to as close as two in the closing moments, but Greg Gardner and Conner Blasi made key free throws down the stretch to seal the victory for the visitors as UAH ran its winning streak to a season-best four games. Dedrick led four Chargers who finished the night in double figures with Seab Webster scoring 13 and Ronnie Mack and Blasi both adding 10.
UAH started the contest out strong, stampeding out to an 11-0 lead with a run that was started by electrifying dunks from Webster and Blasi that thrilled the large contingent of UAH fans that made the short trip here from the Rocket City.
The strong beginning led to UAH shooting nearly 60 percent for the opening 20 minutes, and the squad finished the night with a field goal percentage of 55.2 percent while UNA connected on 46.3 percent of its attempts. UAH also hit 10 3-pointers in the game to move its record to 8-3 when recording at least 10 triples. On the glass, UAH outrebounded UNA by a 41-31 clip with Garrett Cosgrove joining Dedrick with a strong night as he grabbed a career-best seven boards. North Alabama had six players score in double figures with Marquel Darrington pacing the team with 19 points, and UNA ensured that it would stay in the game by capitalizing on UAH turnovers, outscoring UAH 31-16 on points off turnovers. The Chargers will aim to continue their winning ways when they remain on the road Thursday as the team will travel to Christian Brothers. Tip-off in Memphis is slated for 7 p.m.
Gameday Central
On January - 25 - 2014ADD COMMENTS
Key Road Win
On January - 25 - 2014ADD COMMENTS
Picking up a critical win on the road in conference play, the University of Alabama in Huntsville men’s basketball team defeated host Union 63-55 on Thursday night. The Chargers improve to 9-7 (5-4 GSC) with the victory, while Union slips to 8-7 (4-5 GSC). The win marks the first away from Spragins Hall since a victory at North Alabama late last season.
The Chargers started strong in the first half, pushing out to a 12-7 lead, but the remainder of period would be tight and featured seven ties and four lead changes with Union taking a slim 27-25 lead into the locker room at the half.
Trailing 41-38 with under 12 minutes to play, UAH went on a strong 19-6 run over the next seven minutes to establish a 57-47 lead with five minutes left in the contest, and the run was punctuated by a string of six straight points that had a Conner Blasi layup bookended by a pair of Ronnie Mack baskets.
The hosts would cut into the deficit, pulling as close as six at the 1:25 mark, but Taylor Chapman turned in a strong final minute as he grabbed a pair of defensive rebounds and buried four free throws as part of his 12 points on the night to help UAH seal the victory. Three players joined Chapman in double figures, led by Wayne Dedrick‘s 15, while Seab Webster and Conner Blasi both added 10. Blasi finished with a double-double as he grabbed a game-best 10 rebound, and Greg Gardner was also strong as he hit three 3s to score nine while dishing out five assists.
After shooting just 31.3 percent in the first half, UAH used a 53.8 percent performance from the field in the second stanza to finish the night shooting 41.8 percent while holding Union to a 37.5 percent showing, and the Chargers also won the rebounding battle by a 40-32 edge. Ten of UAH’s rebounds were on the offensive end, and the team converted them into 11 second chance points while giving up just six offensive boards to Union who was able to only score three second chance points.
