What in the Blue Blazes?

The ball carried hope in flight, and heartbreak upon arrival. Gerald Fitch got the perfect look, the perfect elevation and the perfect release. But with time running out and Kentucky’s season running down, he just didn’t get the perfect trajectory.

So when the backboard tips and taps were finally done, the Wildcats, seeded No. 1 overall in the NCAA tournament, exited the stage for good, having fallen victim to No. 9-seeded Alabama Birmingham, 76-75, Sunday at Nationwide Arena.

The Blazers, surprising everyone but themselves with the victory, will be the lone standard-bearers for Conference USA, which sent six teams to the tournament, when the madness resumes in the round of 16. UAB (22-9) will play No. 4 Kansas on Friday in St. Louis.

Kelenna Azubuike had put the Wildcats up, 75-74, with 29 seconds to play when he took a third-chance rebound and slammed the ball down.

But the Blazers were not shaken by the Wildcats’ celebratory whoops. With 12 seconds left, senior guard Mo Finley took the pass from teammate Carldell Johnson, pump-faked over Kentucky’s Chuck Hayes and swished what would be the game-winner from 15 feet out.

“We knew coming into the game it was like David versus Goliath,” UAB Coach Mike Anderson said. “Tell you what, David struck a mighty blow today.”

More importantly, though, they absorbed repeated blows from the Wildcats without breaking. Kentucky, until Sunday 7-0 in games decided by five points or fewer this season, used the final 12 seconds to get the ball down the court and into the hands of a wide-open Fitch on the right wing.

The most prolific three-point shooter on the squad, Fitch already had connected 79 times from beyond the arc this season. But this one hit just right of the target.

Hayes missed the ensuing tip, and as the buzzer sounded and the Blazers erupted in celebration, Fitch stood on the sideline, fists clenched in disbelief, his season and his college career over.

“You know, that’s the shot I was supposed to make,” Fitch said. “I just didn’t make it.”

Kentucky (27-5) became the second regional team seeded No. 1 to lose in the second round, a day after Stanford was taken out by Alabama.

Fitch led the Wildcats with 17 points and had seven rebounds. Erik Daniels added 12 points and 10 rebounds. Finley matched Fitch with 17 points. Gabe Kennedy and Donell Taylor had 13 each for UAB, which challenged Kentucky from the start.

With 10 minutes remaining in the first half, Johnson’s three-pointer from the left wing broke a 19-19 logjam, allowing the Blazers to play with the lead for the next 20 minutes.

It wasn’t until 9:49 remained in the game that Fitch, with two free throws, capped an 11-0 run that reclaimed the lead, 57-56, for the Wildcats.

When Johnson went to the bench with his fourth foul 33 seconds later, Kentucky seemed to have the momentum as well.

With Johnson out, and Finley soon to follow with his fourth foul, Kentucky built the lead to six, 69-63. But the Blazers answered with timely offense and tenacious defense. With just over two minutes left, UAB forced Kentucky into a five-second violation inbounding the ball. And after Demario Eddins missed the ensuing jumper, teammate Johnson stole the rebound away from Daniels and fed it back to Eddins, whose layup cut Kentucky’s lead to 71-69.

The Blazers would take the lead, 72-71, 16 seconds later, when Finley connected on a three-pointer from the left baseline.

“They just made bigger plays than us. You know, they won the game,” Fitch said. “That’s all that mattered, they won the game.”