UAB’s Yaxel Lendeborg, the Championship’s Most Outstanding Player, recorded his third double-double of the tournament with 14 points and 16 rebounds. photo by Calvin Hickerson
FORT WORTH, Texas – No. 4 UAB defeated No. 11 Temple, 85-69, to win its first American Men’s Basketball Championship on Sunday, March 17 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Alejandro Vasquez scored 29 points to lead the Blazers (23-11), including 21 points in the first half. He hit five 3-pointers in the first half, tying the Championship record for most 3’s in a half.
photo by Don Mooney
Yaxel Lendeborg, the Championship’s Most Outstanding Player, recorded his third double-double of the tournament with 14 points and 16 rebounds. Lendeborg ended the tournament with 41 rebounds in three games, a Championship record, topping the previous record of 35 set by Cincinnati’s Gary Clark in 2018.
photo by Calvin Hickerson
Hysier Miller led all scorers with 32 points for Temple (16-20), and finished with 96 points over five games, beating the previous record of 84, set by Memphis’ Kendric Davis in 2023. With six assists, Miller also broke the Championship record with 23, one ahead of Craig Porter Jr.’s mark for Wichita State in 2023.
photo by Don Mooney
UAB jumped out to a 22-12 lead and led 43-27 at halftime. The lead grew as large as 26 in the second half before Temple closed the gap to as low as 12 with 3:21 left.
Alejandro Vasquez hit five three pointers in first half to lead all scorers with 29 points. photo by Calvin Hickerson
After the game, the selections for the 2024 NCAA Tournament were announced. UAB will be a No. 12 seed and play in Spokane, Wash., against a No. 5 seed San Diego State. Florida Atlantic was also selected and will be a No. 8 seed facing No. 9 seed Northwestern in Brooklyn, N.Y.