The WKU men’s basketball team (14-15) faced off against the Blazers of the University of Alabama, Birmingham (24-5) Saturday for the second time this season.

WKU was looking to go 2-0 against UAB on the season after taking the Blazers down in Diddle Arena on Jan. 28, but fell 71-67 in a tightly-fought contest in Birmingham. 

The Hilltoppers started the game on the right foot, displaying an effective offense. WKU managed to go up by as many as 11 points at the 11:01 mark in the first half.

UAB then went on a 10-0 run to go up 27-25 with 3:51 to play in the first half. The Blazers would not look back as they led 31-29 going in to halftime.

Four WKU players scored in double figures on the day. Sophomore forward Justin Johnson led all scorers with 19 points on 7-11 shooting while also grabbing seven rebounds.

Senior forward Nigel Snipes put up 14 points, going 4-6 from three-point range. Junior guard Fredrick Edmond filled up the stat sheet with 13 points, six rebounds and six assists. Freshman guard Marlon Hunter added 10 points of his own.

The Toppers only have two regular season games remaining, both of which will be played in Diddle Arena. WKU will take to the court again on Thursday, March 3 at 8 p.m. and then again on Saturday, March 5 against Louisiana Tech at 7 p.m.