Nov. 30, 2004
Box Score
ARLINGTON, Texas - Texas-Arlington men survived a 6:00 scoreless streak to hold off Texas Wesleyan 77-72 at Texas Hall Tuesday night.
UTA (3-2) won for the 11th straight time over TWU and notched their third win in November for the first time since 1985. TWU falls to 1-4.
Junior forward Steven Thomas had a game-high 23 points for UTA. Freshmen Jermaine Griffin scored 14 and Rodrick Epps nailed four three-pointers for 12 points.
TWU had three score in double figures - Tommy Johnson (18), Ben Hunt (17) and Nino Etienne (11).
"That is the way it is with a young team," said head coach Eddie McCarter. "They'll go up and down during the course of the year. They get up for the good teams and they don't understand you have to get up for the Texas Wesleyan-type teams."
"I thought our defense was a step slow tonight and they just crushed us on the boards (41-to-29) and that just shouldn't happen."
UTA trailed by as many as 13 in the first half, 36-23, after two Johnson free throws with 6:52 remaining in the first half. The Mavericks outscored TWU 19-8 the remainder of the half to trail 44-42 at intermission.
UTA stormed out to a 73-60 lead with 8:21 remaining in the game after a three-pointer by Epps. But TWU chipped away on the lead with an 11-0 run to make it 73-71 after an Entienne layup with 4:01 to play.
UTA broke the scoreless drought with a Thomas layup with 1:47 left in the game for a 75-71 lead. TWU missed its final five field goals attempts while UTA sealed the win with two Jarrett Howell free throws with :03 to play.
UTA hosts San Diego Saturday at 3 p.m.
-utamavs.com-
