UAB faces UTSA in CUSA tourney
No. 10 seed UTSA (13-18, 7-11) vs. No. 7 seed UAB (18-13, 9-9)
Conference USA Conference Tourney First Round, Ford Center at The Star, Frisco, Texas; Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: UTSA is set to square off against UAB in the first round of the CUSA tournament. The teams split the regular season series at one win apiece. The teams last faced each other on March 1, when the Roadrunners shot 36.5 percent from the field en route to a 66-59 victory.
TEAM LEADERSHIP: UAB’s Tavin Lovan has averaged 13 points and 4.7 rebounds while Tyreek Scott-Grayson has put up 9.9 points and 4.7 rebounds. For the Roadrunners, Jhivvan Jackson has averaged 27.2 points and 5.8 rebounds while Keaton Wallace has put up 18.5 points and 4.6 rebounds.
FACILITATING THE OFFENSE: Jackson has been directly responsible for 51 percent of all UTSA field goals over the last three games. The junior guard has 27 field goals and seven assists in those games.
WINLESS WHEN: UTSA is 0-5 when scoring fewer than 64 points and 13-13 when scoring at least 64.
UNBEATEN WHEN: UTSA is a perfect 5-0 when the team blocks at least five opposing shots. The Roadrunners are 8-18 this season when they block fewer than five shots.
PACE OF PLAY: The upbeat UTSA offense has averaged 74.4 possessions per game, the 16th-most in Division I. UAB has operated at a slower pace and is averaging only 66.4 possessions per game (ranked 304th, nationally).