By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay
Multi-skilled center Yaxel Lendeborg produced 24 points and 14 rebounds Tuesday night as the UAB Blazers won their fifth straight, holding on at the end to beat the UTSA Roadrunners, 81-78, in Birmingham, Ala.
Lendeborg also had seven assists, three blocks and a steal to help hand the Roadrunners their second straight loss in the American Athletic Conference.
In the game played at Bartow Arena, the Blazers held a decided advantage in rebounding — 47-32 — and also made 26 out of 30 free throws. The Roadrunners stayed in the game by drilling 13 of 34 from 3-point distance.
Guard Primo Spears led the Roadrunners with 27 points and Damari Monsanto scored 21. Spears pulled UTSA to within one with a 15-footer at the free-throw line with 22 seconds left.
On the other end, Spears fouled Vasquez, who knocked down two free throws with 11.3 seconds remaining for the eventual final score.
A Monsanto attempted three pointer was off the mark with two seconds left, giving the victory to the Blazers, who played in the NCAA tournament last year after winning the AAC postseason title.
The Roadrunners played with seven players in the rotation as guard Tai’Reon Joseph was not in the game.
All in all, it was a good effort by the Roadrunners against the preseason conference favorites. Spears scored 18 in the second half and Monsanto 15. Monsanto hit six three pointers in the game.
“To win these games, got to make a couple more plays than we did,” UTSA coach Austin Claunch told the team’s radio broadcast. “Got to finish at the rim better than we did. I thought second-half (on the boards) was better. First half, I think their physicality caught us off guard a little bit.”
“But I was really proud of our group. We really fought. Cut that lead back to one … and then there at the end, that’s on me. Damari, I kind of put him in a tough spot. Thought we could get him on a little switch out and they guarded well.
“But our fight to stay in the game was really good.”
UAB coach Andy Kennedy told the ESPN television network afterward that it was not his team’s best effort but that he was proud of his players.
“These things have value,” he said. “They don’t have value on my blood pressure. But they have value for our team, because it makes us concentrate and grind through when you’re not at your best. So I’m proud of our guys for pulling it out.”
Kennedy said forward Christian Coleman did a good job forcing the miss at the end and “finally we were able to secure a rebound.”
The coach said Lendeborg is a special player. “I’m sure his stat line tonight was ridiculous,” Kennedy said. “It always is, and I’m always wanting more, because I think there’s more there. He’s an incredible kid, a great ambassador for our university.”
First half
The UAB Blazers surged into an early 11-point lead, only to see the UTSA Roadrunners come back with their fast pace and 3-point shooting. In the end, the Blazers took a 38-32 advantage into intermission.
Marcus Millender scored 10 points and Spears had nine for the Roadrunners.
For UAB, Lendeborg had nine points, eight rebounds and four assists. Forward Christian Coleman had eight points and four boards. Efrem Johnson scored eight.
The Blazers pounded the glass, winning the rebounding battle 29-14.
Records
UTSA 8-10, 2-4
UAB 12-7, 5-1
Coming up
Temple at UTSA, Saturday, 3 p.m.
Notable
Tai’Reon Joseph had 19 points Saturday in San Antonio when UTSA fell 72-57 to the North Texas Mean Green.
Joseph’s absence was one thing, but the Roadrunners also have been short-handed on the front line for weeks without 6-11 center Mo Njie (foot injury) and 6-8 forward Jaquan Scott (away from the team on a family matter). At one point late in the game Tuesday night, Mo Njie’s younger brother, 6-foot-5 freshman Baboucarr Njie, was guarding the 6-9, 240-pound Lendeborg.