It was win-or-go home for UAB in their matchup with 16th ranked Memphis in the AAC championship this afternoon.

The Blazers, unable to handle the size or depth of the one-seed Tigers, lost 84-72 and dropped their final chance at a NCAA tournament bid after making an appearance last season.

Similarly to their matchup at Bartow Arena on March 2nd, UAB held a lead for much of the game, but the lack of consistent offense outside of Yaxel Lendeborg was their downfall.

Lendeborg finished the game with 19 points on 6-of-16 shooting, 17 rebounds, four assists and one block and steal respectively.

His historic career for the Blazers isn’t officially over, however, as the team will likely be selected to participate in the NIT tournament, whose bracket will be announced later tonight.

Memphis’ duo of guard PJ Haggerty and center Dain Dainja once again proved overwhelming for UAB. Haggerty finished the game with 23 points, seven rebounds and a pair of assists. UAB’s starting guards Alejandro Vasquez and Ja’Borri McGhee combined for only 15 points on 5-of-24 shooting between the two.

Where the Tigers won this game, was in the paint. A common theme among UAB’s meetings with Memphis this season. Dainja ended the game with 22 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and five blocks. His presence in the paint, assisted by forward Moussa Cisse, gave Memphis a 45-44 rebound advantage, with the Tigers out-scoring UAB 46-22 in paint points.

The lack of rhythm caused by the Tigers inside made the Blazers prioritize outside scoring, an area of their game that’s been wildly inconsistent throughout the year. UAB finished with a 25.9% three-point percentage, with junior Efrem ‘Butta’ Johnson leading the team with three makes from outside the arc on five attempts. Johnson was the only Blazer other than Lendeborg to finish in double-digit scoring, finishing with 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting.

The Blazers finish the season 22-12 and made their way to their fourth straight conference championship appearance under head coach Andy Kennedy. The NIT selection show will be broadcast at 5 p.m., shortly after the NCAA Tournament field is announced.