Almost a month ago, on the road, Ty Brewer came within a half-second of clinching a win for the UAB basketball team, but it was for naught as the buzzer sounded with fingertips still lightly pressed onto the ball.

Four weeks of stewing and brewing — pun very much intended — and Brewer earned a reprieve with his best game in a UAB uniform against that very same team.

“It’s been pretty much everything that’s been brewing up, especially the last-second losses,” Brewer said. “Everything was stacking on top of each other and we had to do better in all areas and aspects.”

The Blazers got a double-double from Brewer, and Eric Gaines, and had three players in double figures as they cruised to a 92-69 victory over Middle Tennessee State, Thursday, Feb. 9, at the Super Pit in Denton, Texas.

“That’s what it’s supposed to look like and that’s what we thought it was going to look like,” UAB head coach Andy Kennedy said. “Came out with great approach. Terrific offensively, the best we’ve played without question in 2023. Contributions across the board and good effort.”

UAB entered the game at 76 in the NCAA NET and improves to 18-8 overall and 9-6 in C-USA with its win over the Blue Raiders, splitting the regular-season series at one game apiece.

The Blazers shot 50.8 percent overall, 52 percent from beyond the arc (13-of-25), and were 15-for-21 on free-throw attempts. Defensively, UAB held the Blue Raiders to 41.8 percent from the field and 36.8 percent on 3-pointers (7-of-19), forced 12 turnovers that resulted in 16 points and claimed a plus-10 advantage on inside scoring and plus-17 edge in rebounding.

Ty Brewer finished with a season-high 24 points and 12 rebounds for the first double-double of his UAB career, adding 2 blocks and 2 steals, and was by far the most involved player on the court. He scored 6 of UAB’s first 11 points in the first half, 8 of its first 9 points in the second half, and closed out each with a long shot to cap the scoring.

“We’ve played him some at the 3, some at the 4, we play him at the 3 and the 4,” Kennedy said. “I got a lot of trust in KJ (Buffen). When KJ is locked in, he anchors us defensively with his voice. When I’m playing Ty only when KJ is out, we’re not getting him enough minutes. He can bring athleticism, he’s a ball-getter and has the ability to make an open shot. That’s the way that kid is capable and hopefully, this is the springboard for him moving forward.”

Kennedy even admitted to drawing up a few early plays in order to get Brewer going on the offensive end.

“It gave me a clear mind and confidence,” Brewer said. “I do appreciate coach for that, indeed.”

Eric Gaines also had the first double-double of his UAB career, producing 12 points and 10 assists with only a single turnover. Jordan “Jelly” Walker returned to form in scoring a game-high 25 points, adding 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.

“He (Gaines) only had one turnover and Jelly only had one turnover,” Kennedy said. “We go 21 assists and 9 turnovers, shoot it at 50 percent, and plus-17 on the glass against a good Middle Tennessee State team.”

UAB opened the game on an 11-4 run before building an 11-point lead midway through the first half. The Blazers closed the opening act on an 18-4 run, taking a 47-22 lead into the halftime break, and held the Blue Raiders scoreless for 5:27 before allowing one made field goal in the final 3:48 of the frame.

The Blazers built as much as a 30-point lead in the second half but allowed MTSU to hit 7-of-11 3-pointers after holding them to 0-for-8 in the first half. The UAB advantage never dipped below 20 points and Brewer capped his impressive performance with a 3-pointer on the final offensive possession of the game.

“The game was decided in the first half and it was decided on the defensive end,” Kennedy said. “We were really locked in and engaged, which allowed us to get out in the open floor and set the tone for the game.”

KJ Buffen finished with 8 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, followed by Trey Jemison with 8 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks. Javian Davis had 6 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks, Tony Toney had 4 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals, and Ledarrius Brewer contributed 5 points.

The Blazers hit the road for a two-game Texas trip, beginning against UTEP, Thursday, Feb. 16, at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT on ESPN+.