Jan. 12, 2005

Box Score

ARLINGTON, Texas - After sparring for more than 30 minutes it was Northwestern State with the knockout punch.

Northwestern State used a 15-2 run to break a tie game en route to a 69-58 victory in a Southland Conference contest at Texas Hall Wednesday night.

UTA (6-7, 1-2) lost for the fourth time in five games while Northwestern State (9-8, 3-0) won its fourth straight game.

Northwestern State was led in scoring by Clifton Lee with 22 points. Byron Allen added 13. UTA was led in scoring by forward Steven Thomas with a game-high 25 points.

Northwestern State broke open a game that had 12 ties and seven lead changes with the decisive run that began with a Tyronn Mitchell jumper with 7:16 to play to give the Demons a 50-48 lead and ended with a Lee free throw for a 63-50 lead with 2:50 to play.

UTA tried to fight back. A Thomas free throw cut the lead to 63-56 with 1:36 to play but the Mavs could get no closer as Northwestern made 6-of-8 free throws in the final 1:32 of the game to seal the win.

UTA scratched out a 29-27 halftime lead in a turnover-plagued first half as both teams accounted fore 13 turnovers each.

UTA used a 17-7 run over a 5:18 span to take a 29-24 lead on a Kenneth Henderson jumper with 3:11 to play in the half.

UTA returns to action Saturday at McNeese State. Tip-off is at 1 p.m.

NOTES: Thomas passed Steven Barber (276) and Derrick Obasohan (280) and moved into third place on the UTA career free throws made list with 283... He needs 99 points to move into the top 25 in career scoring... The Mavs played with a short bench as freshmen Myles Guidry and Baron Sauls did not suit up for the game... The crowd of 806 was a season-high at Texas Hall... There were 12 ties and seven lead changes in the game... The UTA bench scored a season-low two points in the game.

- utamavs.com -