NORMAL – Memories came flooding back for Randy Norton and Taren Martin as they returned to what they knew as Redbird Arena.
And after Alabama-Birmingham’s 71-68 women's basketball victory over Illinois State on Friday at what is now CEFCU Arena, the Blazers’ coaches have a win to remember their trip by.
“It was pretty surreal when we walked in,” said Norton, UAB’s 12th-year head coach who was an assistant at ISU for seven seasons under head coach Robin Pingeton. “I have not been here since our last game in 2010 when we lost in the (NIT) Final Four to California in front of 8,000 people.