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Wichita State Shockers @ UAB Blazers

Current Records: Wichita State 11-17, UAB 18-9

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Wichita State has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They and the UAB Blazers will face off in an American Athletic battle at 8:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday at Bartow Arena. Coming off a loss in a game Wichita State was expected to win, they now face the more daunting task of proving themselves against unfavorable odds.

Wichita State fought the good fight in their overtime matchup against the Owls on Sunday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They took a 72-66 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Owls. Wichita State got off to an early lead (up 12 with 1:39 left in the first quarter), but sadly they weren't able to maintain that momentum.

Despite their loss, Wichita State saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Xavier Bell, who scored 17 points, was perhaps the best of all. Quincy Ballard was another key contributor, scoring ten points along with five rebounds.

Tulane typically has all the answers at home, but on Sunday UAB proved too difficult a challenge. They came out on top against the Green Wave by a score of 78-67. The victory was just what UAB needed coming off of a 94-71 loss in their prior match.

Among those leading the charge was Yaxel Lendeborg, who dropped a double-double on 26 points and 12 rebounds. Another player making a difference was Efrem Johnson, who scored 13 points along with five assists and five rebounds.

The Shockers have been struggling recently as they've lost 14 of their last 17 games, which put a noticeable dent in their 11-17 record this season. As for the Blazers, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matches, which provided a nice bump to their 18-9 record this season.

This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Wichita State have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 39.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like UAB struggles in that department as they've been averaging 38.4 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.

Odds

UAB is a big 8-point favorite against Wichita State, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Blazers as a 7-point favorite.


The over/under is 147 points.

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