Even Andy Kennedy didn’t have an answer for one of the worst team performances of his UAB tenure.

“I wish I had an explanation but I don’t,” the fourth-year UAB basketball coach said. “I’m as dumbfounded as y’all.”

The Blazers got on a roll early but collapsed epically in a 94-71 loss to Rice, Wednesday, Feb. 21, at Bartow Arena in Birmingham.

UAB (17-9, 9-4 AAC) entered the game at 110 in the NCAA NET rankings but an at-large is all but out of the question following the loss to Rice, which had lost five of its last seven games and earned its 10th win against the Blazers.

“No indication that was going to happen but it did,” Kennedy said. “We have to deal with it, all the ramifications that come with it, and respond. This is 2024, brother, you give them chicken fingers and say ‘We’ll see you tomorrow.’ That’s what you do.”

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The Blazers shot 34.4 percent overall and 9-of-23 from three-point range and were 14-of-18 at the free-throw line. UAB earned a slim plus-3 edge on the glass but allowed the Owls to shoot an incredible 60.3 percent from the field and 57.9 percent (11-of-19) on three-pointers.

“We’re tough and physical, that’s who we are,” Kennedy said. “But, for whatever reason, we chose not to be that. That’s a choice and we chose not to do it.”

UAB got off to a promising start but soon came crashing down as the Owls powered ahead on a 27-3 run that covered more than eight minutes of game time. The Blazers appeared to reset themselves on a swift 7-2 run but Rice closed out the final 3:27 of the first half with a 14-2 run punctuated by a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Travis Evee.

Following another Evee bucket on the initial possession of the second half, UAB reasserted itself in cutting the lead down as far as 16 points with 12:15 left in the game. The Owls built as large as a 29-point advantage in the final four minutes and had little resistance in having five players score in double digits.

“You give them momentum, they start taking shots and you’re on your heels all night,” Kennedy said. “Defensively, it was Deja Vu in that it reminded me of McNeese State. Our fight was just not there and we tucked our tails and took it. For us to respond back to that, I’m not going to go (Rick) Pitino on you but I got some thoughts.”

Yaxel Lendeborg posted his 12th double-double of the season, scoring 16 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, and scored eight points during a 14-5 run that saw UAB trim the deficit to 18 points early in the second half. Efrem “Butta” Johnson finished with 13 points, followed by Javian Davis with 10 points and eight rebounds.

Daniel Ortiz added nine points on 3-of-5 shooting from three-point range and Tony Toney had eight points. Alejandro Vasquez had seven points, Christian Coleman had six points and Eric Gaines only supplied two points, while dishing out five assists.

The Blazers take to the road as they visit Tulane, Sunday, Feb. 25, at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in New Orleans. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. CT on ESPN2.