MONTEVALLO, Ala. – Fresh off a thrilling win over No. 3/4 West Georgia on Friday, the University of Montevallo Men's Basketball team will take a 33-mile road trip to Birmingham, Alabama to face the UAB Blazers in an exhibition, on Sunday, Dec. 17 at 2 p.m.
Montevallo steps away from Gulf South Conference action until Dec. 31. In the meantime, the Falcons will play a pair of non-Division-II contests, first with UAB. UM will return home on Tuesday, Dec. 19 for a Division-III matchup with Huntingdon.
The Falcons enter the Division-I exhibition at 2-8 overall on the year while the Blazers are 5-5.
This is the 18th meeting between a D-I opponent for UM, as the squad is 0-17 all-time. Montevallo's last game against a Division-I team was on Nov. 7, 2022, against Troy (L, 87-67).
Just 33.4 miles north of Montevallo, UAB is Montevallo's second-closest opponent by distance in program history with Samford ranking number one at 31.6 miles.
Montevallo is UAB's second Division II opponent this season, while this is UM's first D-I matchup of 2023-24. In addition, Montevallo is the third Gulf South Conference opponent UAB has faced in the past three seasons. Mississippi College fell to the Blazers 98-47 in 2022 and AUM dropped a meeting in 2021, 101-70.
With UAB's move to the American Athletic Conference, the Blazers are Montevallo's first AAC opponents in program history.
Sunday's meeting is an exhibition for the Falcons but a regular season game for UAB.
Game Information/Coverage
Matchup: Montevallo (2-8, 2-5 GSC) at UAB (5-5, 0-0 AAC)
When: Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, 2 p.m.
Where: Bartow Arena, Birmingham, Alabama
Watch: ESPN+ ($)
Listen: Falcons Athletics Network on YouTube | UAB Varsity Network
Live Stats
Tickets
GAME NOTES
So Far This Season…
Montevallo (2-8, 2-5 GSC) snapped a three-game losing skid to notch the second win of the season last time out against No.3/4 West Georgia in thrilling fashion. A late three-pointer from UM's Justin Graham proved to be the difference as UM earned its second-highest ranked win in program history, 72-69. The highest-ranked win came in 2010 when the Falcons took down No. 1 Augusta, 81-77.
Montevallo has faced a brutal slate to begin the season with four of its first five opponents receiving national recognition in either of the three NCAA Division II Top-25 polls at some point this season. According to Masseyratings.com, UM's strength of schedule ranks 79th out of 297 in NCAA Division II. In the latest D2 CSC South Region Media Poll, six of UM's first 10 opponents are ranked or receiving votes: No. 1 Nova Southeastern (7-0), No. 2 West Georgia (9-1) No. 4 West Alabama (7-2), No. 6 Lee (5-1), No. 8 UAH (6-3) and RV Clark-Atlanta (6-2). Additionally, Montevallo has faced two of the top-three ranked teams in the nation: current No. 1 Nova Southeastern and No. 3/4 West Georgia.
Defense has been a struggle for the Falcons this season, but the unit had its best outing against West Georgia last time out. Montevallo held the Wolves to their lowest point total of the year, 69, which is also the fewest allowed by the Falcons this season.
UM's offense has been inconsistent this season but remains one of the best in the Gulf South Conference at 84.2 points per game – second in the league.
Montevallo continues to be one of the better three-point shooting teams across the Gulf South with 10.2 made threes per game.
The Falcon's fast-paced play style has led to the second-most forced turnovers in the conference with 168 at a rate of 16.6 per game, good enough for 25th in D-II. The forced turnovers have dropped a bit over the last three outings, but the Falcons have recorded fewer turnovers than their average in three of the last four games. Montevallo recorded its second-fewest turnovers with 11 in the win over West Georgia. The fewest was 10 against Shorter, UM's only other win of the year.
The fast-paced style has not only impacted UM's defensive play but on offense as well with 16.56 fastbreak points per game which ranks 20th in Division II.
The Falcons are 0-5 away from Montevallo this season.
Montevallo returned just three players from the 2022-23 team and added 12 newcomers: seven transfers and five freshmen.
Scouting UAB:
UAB enters the exhibition 5-5 overall on the year. The Blazers enter Sunday's matchup coming off a 93-82 win on the road over Alabama A&M on Dec. 13.
10 games into the year, UAB is scoring 74.6 points per game and allowing 76.8 to its opponents.
The Blazers are averaging just 5.2 three-pointers per game on the year but are adding nearly 18 points per game from the charity stripe. UAB ranks 29th Division-I with 17.8 free throws made per game and is attempting the 26th most at 24.9.
Much like the Falcons, UAB can run the floor as well and is averaging 15.10 fastbreak points per outing, good enough for 41st in D-I.
Sunday's contest is the second Division II game for UAB this year. The Blazers open the season with an 88-70 exhibition win over Morehouse College at Bartow Arena on Oct. 30.
Series History Against UAB
This is the second all-time meeting between the Falcons and Blazers, who are just 33.4 miles apart. UAB won the first meeting on Dec. 14, 2019, 75-63 in Birmingham, to lead the series 1-0.
Sunday's matchup also marks the second time UM has faced an Andy Kennedy-led team. On Nov. 5, 2012, the Falcons faced Kennedy's Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford, falling 77-62. The 2012 exhibition against Ole Miss was UM's first game since falling in the Division-II National Championship the outing before on Mar. 24, 2012.
Player Highlights Montevallo:
10 games into the year, Jaylen Curry has established himself as Montevallo's leading scorer with 15.3 points per game. The sophomore forward who joined the Falcons from Wallace State Community College this season, has scored in double-figures seven times this season, including a career-high 32 against Lee. Curry's 32-point outing is the most points a Falcon has scored this season.
Curry is one of three Falcons averaging in double-figures this season, ahead of fellow transfers Cam Glover (14.2 ppg) and Jack Henderson (13.2 ppg). Junior Justin Graham, who tallied a career-high 31 against Clark-Atlanta and led UM with 21 in the win over West Georgia, is just behind the trio at 9.9 points per game.
Henderson, an Albuquerque, New Mexico native, leads Montevallo on the boards this year with 5.2 per game.
Glover, a junior transfer from Birmingham-Southern, is UM's leading sharpshooter with 2.5 three-pointers made per game. The Trussville, Alabama native has scored in double-figures eight times this year, including a season-high 28 against Shorter and 18 last time out against West Georgia.
Freshman point guard Brandon Fussell leads Montevallo with 2.9 assists per game to go along with 7.7 points per contest.
Player Highlights UAB:
Eric Gaines leads UAB's offense with 13.5 points per game this season as he is shooting 40.5 percent from the field. Gaines is one of two Balzer's scoring in double-figures, alongside Alejandro Vasquez at 11.0 per outing.
Javian Davis leads the Balzer's rebounding effort with 7.2 rebounds per game.
In addition to being the leading scorer, Gaines is also dishing out a team-high 4.0 assists per game.
