UAB visits red-hot Tyrin Lawrence, Vanderbilt in NIT clash

Tyrin Lawrence and second-seeded Vanderbilt aim to continue their torrid ways on Wednesday when they host fourth-seeded UAB in an NIT quarterfinal game at Nashville, Tenn.

Lawrence collected 25 points and seven rebounds in the Commodores' 71-62 victory over Yale in a first-round contest on March 14. He added 24 and nine, respectively, on Saturday as Vanderbilt (22-14) rallied to a 66-65 win over Michigan in the second round.

Lawrence was credited with the go-ahead layup with 11 seconds left in the second half after he received the benefit of a questionable goaltending call against Wolverines center Hunter Dickinson.

"I just saw Ezra (Manjon) get the steal. He passed it to (Jordan Wright, who) saw me trailing and I just saw a lane and I took it," Lawrence said. "As far as the goaltending, that was pretty questionable. I wasn't sure, but I'm glad. I'll take it."

The call allowed the Commodores to overcome a five-point deficit in the final minute and record their 12th win in the last 14 games.

"That was Memorial (Gymnasium) Magic if you've ever seen it before," Vanderbilt coach Jerry Stackhouse said. "We just kept fighting, and we found a way."

Like Lawrence, fellow guard Manjon has fared well in the NIT. He scored 18 points versus the Bulldogs and 17 against the Wolverines.

The Blazers (27-9) posted their sixth win in a row and 14th in 16 games with a 77-59 victory over Morehead State on Sunday.

Ty Brewer scored 17 of his season-high 25 points in the first half for UAB, which matched its program record in wins. The 2021-22 club also had 27 victories before falling in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

"Starting the game off, the first couple of shots really depict the momentum," Brewer said. "When they go in, I got to keep going to keep us going. I felt like those were some important shots."

Trey Jemison recorded his Conference USA-leading 10th double-double after collecting 11 points and a season-high 16 rebounds.