MAVS HOST WINLESS FALCONS
12/4/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 4, 2003
Texas-Arlington will host Texas-Permian Basin for the first time on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
ABOUT THE LAST GAME
Sophomore forward Steven Thomas (Fort Worth, Texas) continued his torrid scoring streak with a career-high 24 points in a 74-69 win over Texas Wesleyan at Texas Hall Wednesday.
Thomas, who had set a career-high with 23 points Nov. 29 at Texas-Pan American, scored 12 points each half to help the Mavericks even their record at 2-2.
Senior forward Derrick Obasohan (Houston, Texas) canned four 3-pointers and finished with 21 points. He picked up his third foul 12:00 into the game, but scored eight points to end the first half and added another 10 in the second half.
The Mavericks made a season-high seven 3-pointers in the game. UTA used an 8-0 run over 1:41 stretch in the second half to break a 49-49 tie. Back-to-back baskets by Obasohan gave UTA a 57-49 lead with 11:10 to play.
SCOUTING THE FALCONS
Texas-Permian Basin is beginning its second season of men's basketball at the Odessa campus. To date, UTPB has won just three games in the program's history. This season, UTPB is 0-9 after an 85-64 setback to Texas A&M International in Laredo Monday night. Charncy Ephriam and Alfred Acosta came off the bench to score 20 and 14 points, respectively. Earlier this season, UTPB dropped a 109-49 decision to Texas-El Paso on Nov. 22 in their only other game against a Division I program this year.
Freshman center Marcus Saunders (6-foot-8) is the only player taller than 6-5 on the UTPB roster.
As a team, UTPB shot 35.7% (20-of-56) from the field, 37.0% (10-of-27) 3-pointers and 77.8% (14 of 18) from the free throw line against A&M International. UTPB committed 23 turnovers and tallied 38 rebounds.
THE SERIES Friday's game is the first meeting between UTA and Texas-Permian Basin.
A LOOK AHEAD UTA will host Ouachita Baptist Saturday at 4 p.m.
