With 16 minutes remaining in the second half of UAB’s 2nd round NIT matchup at Santa Clara, the Blazers trailed 59-42. The Blazers looked gassed, fitting for a team that’s traveled over five thousand miles in the last seven days.

After the game went to a media timeout, UAB looked like a new squad, and went on an improbable second-half-run, coming back from 17 points to win the game 88-84 and advance to the NIT quarterfinals.

Fueling the second half was another well-rounded performance from Yaxel Lendeborg, who may have raised his NBA draft stock in recent days. Lendeborg finished the game with 22 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks.

Lendeborg’s chemistry with forward Christian Coleman proved vital to the Blazers’ success, with the connection fueling one of Coleman’s best games of the season. He finished the night just shy of Lendeborg’s scoring tally with 21 points, and recorded six rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Before the comeback began, UAB once again struggled with seven-foot centers, this time, it was Santa Clara’s Christoph Tilly. His four-straight nearly uncontested layups early in the 2nd half coincided with the timeout that re-fueled UAB. Tilly finished the night with 17 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

UAB’s efforts on the perimeter played a massive part in the comeback, holding Santa Clara to nine 3-pointers on 25 attempts. The Broncos averaged 11 threes per game, the same amount one of 3-pointers UAB made tonight. One of their best outputs of the season.

The Blazers move on to play UC Irvine, who defeated Jacksonville State 66-61 on Sunday night. The game will tip off at 8 p.m. central time on Wednesday, March 26 and will air on ESPN2.