UAB steals way
past Clemson

Blazers turn it up
defensively with 12 steals

The UAB basketball team doesn't mind playing the role of the Grinch this holiday season.

Rainbow Classic At the Stan Sheriff Center Today's games Semifinals » UAB vs. USC, 5 p.m. » Oral Roberts vs. Hawaii, 7:30 p.m. Consolation bracket » Georgetown vs. Long Beach State, 11 a.m. » Clemson vs. Indiana State, 1:30 p.m.

The Blazers forced 26 turnovers, including 12 steals to claim a 78-66 victory over Clemson last night in the opening round of the Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic.

Trailing by four at halftime, the Blazers turned up the defensive intensity to force the Tigers into 14 second-half turnovers and end Clemson's five-game winning streak.

"When we started playing defense where they're getting frustrated and started making turnovers, then we knew we had them where we wanted them," UAB guard Donell Taylor said.

UAB (6-2) plays USC at 5 p.m. Hawaii takes on Oral Roberts in the second semifinal at 7:30.

Clemson (7-2) fell into the consolation bracket, where the Tigers face Indiana State at 1:30 p.m. Georgetown plays Long Beach State in the first game of the day at 11 a.m.

UAB's work on the defensive end sparked the Blazers offensively as Taylor scored a career-high 26 points, while his twin brother, Ronell, added 13. The brothers combined to make 15 of 25 shots from the field for UAB, which shot 52 percent as a team.

"We don't play brother ball we play team ball," Donell Taylor said. "Whoever's open, we try to get that man the ball."

The Blazers, who advanced to the Sweet 16 in last season's NCAA Tournament, won despite being outrebounded 44-22. But UAB's defense rarely gave Clemson an open look at the basket in the second half.

"I thought the second half we pretty much dictated tempo and got into our pressure defense," UAB coach Mike Anderson said. "When we're playing that way we're a pretty good basketball team."

Clemson guard Cliff Hammonds hit five 3-pointers and led the Tigers with 22 points.

Clemson center Sharrod Ford was 8-for-12 from the field and finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds. But the Tigers guards had trouble getting the ball to Ford, as he attempted just four shots after the break.

"In the first half we were able to keep it spread and throw it inside," Clemson coach Oliver Purnell said. "We wanted to do more of the same, but we were having trouble advancing the basketball."

Clemson erased an eight-point deficit to take a 37-33 lead into halftime. The Tigers went up 46-41 early in the second half only to see UAB go on an 18-2 run punctuated by Donell Taylor's reverse dunk off a steal by Carldell Johnson with 8:30 left in the game. The Blazers made eight of 10 free throws in the final 4:52 to seal the win.

"When you play in a tournament, that first game is always important because you want to let the other teams know that you're for real," Taylor said.

USC 68, Indiana State 64: Amid the commotion over who will lead USC next year, the Trojans have quietly won three straight games under interim coach Jim Saia.

After Rick Majerus, who agreed to take over the program last week, announced his resignation for health reasons, the Trojans (5-3) thwarted a furious Sycamores rally to move into the semifinals.

USC shot 52 percent in the first half and took a 41-21 lead at halftime.

Indiana State (5-4), which made just four of 26 shots from the field in the first half, cut the USC lead to five on a 3-pointer by Logan Whitman with 3:48 left but couldn't get over the hump.

USC center Gregg Guenther finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds, both season highs, while guard Gabe Pruitt scored a game-high 16.

Eric Gray led Indiana State with 13 points.