LIVINGSTON, Ala. - The University of West Alabama Men's Basketball team is set for their regular season finale on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. as they welcome the third ranked team in the country in the form of the Alabama Huntsville Chargers.
West Alabama (14-13, 10-11 GSC) is locked into the six spot in the GSC Standings after clinching a spot in the Tournament with a 75-61 win over AUM on Saturday. As for No. 3 Alabama Huntsville (26-1, 21-0 GSC), they come into Thursday's matchup locked into the No. 1 spot in the conference while carrying a 26-game winning streak.
Thursday's game will be a rematch from The Tigers and Chargers first meeting back on January 18. In that game, UWA hung with UAH in the early stages of the contest before Alabama Huntsville used a 24-5 run to pull away, leading to a 79-52 win.
West Alabama is arguably playing their best basketball of the season as they are winners of four of their last six games, coming into Thursday. Thaddeus Williams continues to be the Tigers' best player as his case for an All-GSC selection grows by the game. Williams is averaging 19.0 points and 7.1 rebounds per game in his last six contests, raising his season averages to a team-high 15.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. The senior point guard is obviously the engine that makes this West Alabama team go but he's also surrounded by Travion McCray, Elliot Tulip, and Dadrevius Weathers who are playing their best ball of their UWA careers.
McCray is one of the better three-level scorers on the Tigers' roster but they will need him to be more consistent on the offensive end if West Alabama wants to pull off an upset on Thursday night. For Tulip, he's become a focal point in UWA's offense. As a starter, the true freshman is averaging 10.5 points and will most likely need to go over that mark to contend with the scoring coming back from Alabama Huntsville. With Weathers, his energy and athleticism is a difference maker. In his last seven games, the junior has been the epitome of a rim protector, blocking 2.2 shots per game. That's a critical stat with UWA having to deal with the slashing prowess of UAH's Tommy Murr on Thursday.
With a roster loaded with talent, Murr is the player that stands out the most for Alabama Huntsville. The senior guard is the clear front runner for the GSC Player of the Year Award and makes a strong case for the South Region Player of the Year award. This season, Murr has put together a stat line of 20.8 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game. He's also in the 50 | 40 | 90 club, shooting 53 percent from the floor, 42 percent from three, and 93 percent from the free throw line. While Murr is having a career year, the talent around him is unquestionable.
Luke Burnett is a name that is well known around the league as he is the All-Time leader in three-pointers made in GSC History. This year, Burnett is averaging 15.9 points per game on 41 percent shooting and 38 percent from three while newcomer Blake Campbell is also averaging 15.9 points on 58 percent shooting and 39 percent from three. In the front court, Daniel Saylor and Matt Thurman are the main contributors as Saylor is nearly averaging a double-double with 12.9 points and 9.3 rebounds while Thurman adds 10.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.
There will be a ton of talent on the floor on Thursday afternoon as West Alabama attempts to pull off the upset against No. 3 Alabama Huntsville in Pruitt Hall.
Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. and fans are encouraged to wear red for a Red Out.
