By Daniel Evans

The Selma Times-Journal

 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Dallas County graduate William “Haha” Lee scored the final four points for 14th-seeded UAB, as the Blazers stunned third-seeded Iowa State 60-59 Thursday and in turn ruined a lot of tournament brackets.

Lee, who is Alabama’s reigning Mr. Basketball award winner, knocked down a jump shot from the free throw line to give the Blazers the lead and hit two free throws in the final minute to help UAB finish off its first tournament win since 2005. The 6-foot-9 freshmen scored 14 points and added 12 rebounds to lead the way for the Blazers.

The Plantersville native was up to the challenge of battling All-Big 12 forward George Niang, who he guarded the majority of the way. Niang was held to just 11 points on 4-of-15 shooting.

With UAB trailing in the final minute, Lee drove the lane and knocked down a jumper with 26 seconds to play to put UAB up 57-56. After rebounding an Iowa State miss, Lee knocked down two free throws with 12 seconds left to give UAB a 59-56 advantage.

The Cyclones got a tip-in to go with 0.4 seconds to play, but UAB threw the ball in and time expired.

“For us, it was just huge,” Brown said. “We come here, not just to play games, but to actually make some noise and to win some games. To be able to do that and win for Birmingham, win for Coach (Jerod) Haase, it’s a great feeling.”

After trailing 12-2 early, UAB got back into the game by outrebounding the Cyclones 52-37. The Blazers led 31-28 at halftime but in the second half the lead teetered back and forth. Iowa State was seemingly in command with under two minutes left, but Lee finished at the rim and Robert Brown made a three-pointer to give UAB a 56-55 lead.

Iowa State’s Monte Morris made a jumper to put the Cyclones up one with 41 seconds left but Lee answered with a jump shot to give UAB the lead for good.

“You’re a product of your thoughts,” UAB head coach Haase said.

“There’s been more talk right now about 14 seed or upsets than we’ve said the entire year. Our thoughts have been, when we play well, we think we can compete with anybody, and those thoughts have been expressed to our team, and our team has made the choice to believe in that. I think that’s what you saw today.”

Thurdsay wasn’t the first time Lee had been tasked with hitting a big shot. Actually, he’s probably used to it by now.

In the 2014 class 4A championship game, Lee brought Dallas County back from a double-digit deficit, including nailing the 3-pointer to tie the game and then knocking down three free throws to finish it off in overtime.

The Blazers will move on to face a UCLA team they’ve already faced once this year. The first meeting came in November in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament in the Bahamas.The Bruins will likely see a completely different looking UAB team Saturday when they play for the right to move on to the Sweet 16.

Lee didn’t play in the first matchup as he was still overcoming an offseason knee injury and Brown, the Blazers leading scorer, only had 2 points on 1-of-7 shooting.

As Lee has gotten healthier and more in-tune to the college game, it’s showed in his numbers. In his first 21 games, he only scored in double figures twice. He’s scored 10 or more in nine of UAB’s last 11 games and he’s had double-digit rebounds in six of those games as well.

He’s averaged 12 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game in that timespan.

UCLA also won the rebounding battle that day 46-37 but the Blazers have outrebounded their last three opponents by eight or more.

The time for Saturday’s eight matchups, including UAB-UCLA, was not set as of press time Thursday evening.

UAB will try to join Cleveland State (1986) and Chattanooga (1997) as 14 seeds to make the Sweet 16.

Information from the Associated Press contributed to this story.