UAH (4-3) vs. West Alabama (3-3)
Dec. 14, 2013 - 5 p.m. - Kelly Court at Spragins Hall - Huntsville
Live Stats: uahchargers.com
Live Audio: 97.7 The Zone
Live PPV Video: America ONE
Game Notes: UAH

About the Chargers

GSC PLAY UNDERWAY: Winners of the last four regular season conference titles, UAH will open up Gulf South Conference action this weekend with a visit from West Alabama. In the preseason coaches' poll, the Chargers were picked to finish third in the league behind North Alabama and Christian Brothers. Saturday's opponent was picked sixth.
 
SHARP SHOOTERS: UAH is one of the nation's top teams from beyond the arc, ranking second in 3-point field goals made per game with an average of 14.1 made treys, and the team is eighth in Division II with a 3-point field goal percentage of 44.6. Also, Ronnie Mack is first in the league in 3s per game and third in 3-point percentage, while Wayne Dedrick ranks fourth in triples per contest and fifth in percentage.
 
SHARING THE BALL: With 18.9 assists per game, the Chargers rank 14th in the country while sophomore Greg Gardner is 14th in Division II with an assist average of 6.3. UAH has registered at least 20 assists in four of the team's seven contests this season and recorded a season-best 32 in the 111-78 victory over Tennessee Wesleyan on Dec. 2.
 
THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE: The Chargers have two of the top free-throw shooters in the conference as Ronnie Mack sits third at 90.9 percent while Wayne Dedrick is hitting his freebies at an 89.7 percent clip. Dedrick had a particularly strong stretch at the line that spanned four games in which he did not miss an attempt, going 25-for-25 from the Alabama A&M game through the Trevecca Nazarene contest in Nashville.
 
BLOCK PARTY: Garrett Cosgrove and Conner Blasi sit in a tie for seventh in the GSC in blocked shots per game as both are averaging just under one block per contest. Both have a season high of three blocks as Blasi swatted away three shots against Trevecca Nazarene on Nov. 20 and Cosgrove followed that up with three against Tennessee Temple on Nov. 23.

About the Opponent

LEADING THE WAY: With 18.3 points per game, Sandy Underwood leads UWA and sits fourth in the GSC in scoring as he has been the team's leading scorer in four of the team's six contests. Mychael Bester paces the Tigers on the glass with 7.7 rebounds per contest.
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Tigers fell last Saturday in a road contest at Stillman, dropping a 75-71 decision. West Alabama held a seven-point advantage near the midway point of the second half before allowing Stillman to earn the come-from-behind win. Four players scored in double figures for the Tigers with Jarell Byrd's 18 leading the way. Mychael Bester earned a double-double with 16 points and 15 boards.
 
WELCOME BACK TO THE GSC: Head coach Mark Downey is in his first season in Livingston, but he is no stranger to the conference as he led Arkansas Tech from 2006-10. At Tech he guided the Wonder Boys to the NCAA Tournament in 2009 and 2010, and his teams won the GSC Tournament in those years, also. In 2010, Downey's squad denied UAH its first-ever GSC Tournament championship as ATU edged out the Chargers 64-63 in the championship game.

Series History

OVERALL: The Chargers own a dominating hold on the all-time series with a 44-19 advantage against the Tigers. UAH has not lost in the series since a 79-74 setback in Livingston in the 2005-06 season, and the Chargers have not dropped a game inside Spragins Hall to the Tigers since the 1997-98 season.
 
LAST YEAR IN HUNTSVILLE VERSUS THE TIGERS: UAH was a 69-60 winner in the meeting in Huntsville a season ago as Jaime Smith led four Chargers who scored in double figures. Hitting four 3s en route to scoring 16 points was Wayne Dedrick, while Ronnie Mack chipped in with 11 in the contest.

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