I was eating tacos before halftime. At that moment, UAB was doing whatever they wanted to against Arkansas State – swiping balls, alley-ooping, doing cartwheels – so Taco Night came a little early. I calculated that I could return to the game for the second half, but the tacos were good, my friends. I took my sweat time. After all, bad basketball just leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

Returning to ESPN Plus (The Champagne of Sports Broadcasting), I found my Red Wolves still down by 20. Later, I would learn that the Blazers had built their largest lead early in the second half – 27 crushing points. Blazers big man Yaxel Lendeborg was the real deal, delivering damage in the paint. Blazers sharp shooter Tyren Moore was a menace, nailing six of his 12 three-point attempts. The home team announcers could not stop saying “Butter Johnson.” Meanwhile, the Red Wolves were shooting 6% (1/16) from the three point line and had built a fortress of bricks around the rim with endless missed layups.

UAB was picked preseason to finish first in the AAC after finishing first in the AAC last season. Lendeborg, a 6’9″ human double-double, surprised the Blazers faithful with a return to Birmingham his senior year, so expectations were high. However, UAB started the season just 5-5, with two wins coming against the Sun Belt’s basement (ULM and Louisiana). If the Blazers had a stride, they had yet to find it. At least, not until Arkansas State came to town.

Except, the Red Wolves were in the midst of staging the largest comeback win in college basketball since 2018. Joseph Pinion, who had earned his masonry union card in the first half, suddenly nailed a couple threes. Iziayah Nelson, who had just missed a dunk, stunned the crowd with a monster slam. Kobe Julien, who had begun the game hot and then was cooled by a couple fouls, returned to bully inside the paint. Rashaud Marshall, who started alongside Nelson, became an offensive option, ending the game with a season high 14 points.

But it was bulk scoring Taryn Todd who took over the second half. He’d light up the Blazers for 22 second half/overtime points, nailing two of the game’s most crucial three pointers in the process. Todd would become the game’s leading scoring with 31 points. But as good as Todd was, Julien might have even been better, pouring in 25 points on 64% shooting. Nelson wasn’t bad himself, earning the Hodgson Hard Hat by contributing 16 points, three blocked shots and a game high 14 boards in his first start of the season.

The Blazers’ announcing crew, who were once casually reveling in an easy victory, seemed more impressed than stunned by the Red Wolves comeback – as if they were watching David Copperfield perform a really good magic trick than witnessing the collapse of their preferred team. It was impossible to resist the magic of the moment. Julien couldn’t stop crashing boards. Todd was incapable of missing shots. Nelson snuck in a pick-pocket steal. Vanishing the Statue of Liberty on live TV seemed like peanuts in comparison.

Time provide a brief pause to the comeback – the clock expired with both teams knotted at 84. But there was nothing the Blazers could do to prevent Arkansas State from becoming just the sixth team in DI history to trail by 25 or more points at the half and rally to win. Amazingly, the entire tally of Arkansas State’s 98 points arrived via the starting five – no points off the bench, noteworthy as the Red Wolves have one of the deepest benches in the Sun Belt.

“Just how I drew it up,” joked Coach Bryan Hodgson after the game. The UAB broadcast crew noted the confidence with which the Red Wolves carried exiting the tunnel for the second half. A-State wasn’t a team down by 25. They were a team that simply set up a challenge! On the road! Against a preseason conference favorite! The cheek on these Red Wolves!

The Red Wolves concluded out-of-conference play with nine wins against three defeats. Among the victims, Akron (6-3), UA Little Rock (6-5), #16 Memphis (8-2) and UAB. That’s two preseason conference favorites and two runners-up. May every night be Taco Night for the Red Wolves.

PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Wade