An exercise in attrition quickly materialized into an instant classic.
With 1:05 remaining in the third overtime session and the UAB basketball team leading by seven points, second-year graduate transfer Quan Jackson refused to let his college career end following a missed shot from the opposition.
He scrambled, snarled and scrummed for the loose ball when it hit the court, kick-starting a 5-0 spurt to seal a physically-demanding win and extend his career at least one more game.
The Blazers had two players with at least 26 points, two players foul out in the waning moments and Jackson logging a second straight double-double as they secured a 102-98 triple-overtime victory over Middle Tennessee State in the C-USA tournament semifinals, Friday, March 11, at The Star in Frisco, Texas
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The Blazers shot 44 percent overall, 35 percent on 3-pointers, and was 29-for-36 at the charity stripe. Defensively, UAB held the Blue Raiders to 41 percent from the field, 30 percent from 3-point range and forced 16 turnovers that resulted in 19 points.
Jordan “Jelly” Walker, named C-USA Player of the Year earlier this week, was named the game’s most valuable player following a 40 point performance, on 11-of-29 from the field and 5-of-16 from 3-point range, and added six rebounds and three assists. He was also a perfect 13-for-13 from the free-throw line.
Walker scored nine points in each half and the remaining 22 points during the overtime sessions. He hit his second 3-pointer of the game on a go-ahead basket with 7.9 seconds remaining in regulation and hit two free-throws at the end of the second overtime to tie the game at 82-82 heading into the third and final overtime, where he scored 11 of UAB’s 20 points.
Walker’s 40 points are the second-most by any player in C-USA tournament history.
Jackson logged his second straight double-double and fourth of the season, producing 16 points on 6-for-11 shooting while adding 10 rebounds and four steals. He scored a go-ahead basket in the final minute of the first overtime and cut the lead to four points in the second overtime after MTSU extended its lead to six points. Jackson added three points in the final session but sealed the game with his hard-earned rebound on the floor.
Mike Ertel has been no short on confidence the last two weeks and continued his impressive play with 26 points on 8-for-16 shooting from the field and 6-of-12 on 3-pointers. He was a perfect 4-for-4 on free throws and added four rebounds and two assists.
The Blazers held a slim 35-31 lead at halftime, building it to as much as eight points in the first minutes of the second half, but allowed MTSU to close the gap and claim its first lead since the first half on a 9-0 run that came to an end with 6:19 remaining in regulation. UAB responded with a 10-4 run to retake the lead but MTSU’s Camryn Weston hit a layup to tie the game at the end of the second half.
MTSU opened the first two overtime periods on the offensive but the Blazers managed to extend the game each time before imposing its will in the final frame. The Blue Raiders were spent in the third overtime and allowed UAB to build as much as an 11-point lead before MTSU closed out with a 9-2 run punctuated by a last-second 3-pointer.
Tavin Lovan finished with eight points and five rebounds and Justin Brown added two free throws for UAB’s final points of the game. Trey Jemison had six points, three blocks and two boards and KJ Buffen added 10 rebounds, four points and two assists — both fouled out late in the game.
The Blazers face Louisiana Tech in the C-USA tournament championship game, Saturday, March 12, at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT on CBS Sports Network.
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism