Blazers Set for AAC Road Game at East Carolina

Photo courtesy of UAB Athletics

By Steve Irvine

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - February 11, 2025

The whirlwind of games was followed by a full week of work in the UAB basketball practice facility. On Tuesday night, the refreshed Blazers will continue its quest to keep pace in the race for the American Athletic Conference regular season title.

UAB is in Greenville, North Carolina for an AAC matchup with East Carolina with tipoff scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday. It will be the first time that UAB will play since going 3-0 in a six-day span that concluded with a 64-61 win over North Texas on Feb. 3.

During that busy stretch, UAB guard Alejandro Vasquez was asked if he preferred playing games bunched up or if he liked some time in between games.

“I like some time in between,” Vasquez said. “Definitely, I think the long stretches help us so we can watch film, study, practice (and) get better.”

The Blazers had the luxury of putting that formula to work before Tuesday’s game. They are also in the midst of playing their best basketball of the season. UAB (15-8 overall, 8-2 AAC) has won eight of nine games since opening conference play with a loss at North Texas. Three of those wins came on the road with the lone loss in that stretch coming at first place Memphis, which leads the Blazers by a game in the standings. UAB owns sole possession of second place with North Texas a game behind the Blazers and Tulane and FAU trailing UAB by two games. UAB has already split with North Texas and has wins over FAU on the road and Tulane at home.

East Carolina (13-11 overall, 5-6 AAC) avoided a three-game losing streak by scoring five points in the final 17 seconds to pull out an 80-79 win at UTSA on Saturday. The winning bucket came on a short jumper by C.J. Walker with four seconds remaining. The Pirates are currently in a seventh-place tie with South Florida in the AAC standings.

The Pirates are led by Walker, a 6-foot-8, 214-pound UCF transfer, and 6-foot-3 senior guard RJ Felton. Walker averages 18.2 points and 6.9 rebounds per game while Felton averages 17.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game with 51 3-pointers. Walker was chosen as the AAC Player of the Week after averaging 25.5 points, eight rebounds and two blocks per game last week. Jordan Riley, a 6-foot-4 senior guard, averages 14.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

UAB needs another big game from Yaxel Lendeborg, who has been on a tear since struggling in the loss at Memphis. Lendeborg averaged 22.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, 4..6 assists, 2.3 blocked shots and 2 steals while shooting 27-of-44 from the field and 11-of-12 from the line in the three games following the trip to Memphis.