HUNTINGTON — Five players scored in double figures as Alabama-Birmingham retook sole possession of first place in Conference USA on Saturday with a hotly contested 81-78 victory over Marshall at Cam Henderson Center.
Before 7,085, MU’s largest crowd of the season, the Blazers (18-4, 8-1) jumped to a 40-32 halftime lead and survived every rally. An 8-0 after the midpoint of the second half gave the Blazers a 67-59 lead, which barely stood up.
The Herd (11-11, 7-2) had a chance to win after closing to 79-78 on a Ryan Taylor 3-point goal. After a UAB miss and several timeouts — and a long conference over a possible illegal substitution, Taylor was stripped on a drive to the basket.