March 6, 2005
Box Score
ARLINGTON, Texas - Texas-Arlington's Myles Guidry and Kenneth Henderson each posted career highs in scoring as they combined for 44 points as the Mavericks secured the eighth and final spot in next week?s O'Reilly Auto Parts/SLC Men's Basketball Tournament with a 78-66 win over Nicholls State Friday night at Texas Hall.
UTA (13-14, 7-9) will face Northwestern State in the opening round of the tournament Tuesday in Natchitoches, La. Nicholls State (6-21, 1-15) dropped its tenth straight SLC game.
Guidry scored 13 of his career-high 23 points in the first half while Henderson added 21.
Brady Dawkins chipped in eight points for UTA. Steven Thomas was held 13 below his average with a season-low five points. Nicholls State was led in scoring by Stefan Blaszczynski with 26 and 10 from Jason Wilkins.
UTA built a 20-point lead early in the second half, but Nicholls State whittled it down to five points, 64-59, after Willie Depron scored with 5:28 to play. UTA made seven straight free throws and Henderson scored on a fast-break lay up with 1:00 to play to stretch the lead to 75-63.
Guidry, who had not scored more than nine points in a college game, scored nine of the Mavs? first 16 points in the opening 6:26 of the game to give UTA a 16-5 lead with 13:34 to play in the first half.
Meanwhile, Nicholls State could not get untracked, missing six of their first seven field goal attempts and finishing the half 7-of-31 (22.6 percent).
UTA has much as a 17-point lead in the first half, 36-19, after a Stephen Floyd basket with 3:23 to play in the first half.
Texas-Arlington 78, Nicholls State 66
Nicholls State (6-21, 1-15)
Wilkins 5-12 0-0 13, Blaszczynski 8-22 9-13 26, King 0-3 2-4 2, Djoukeng 1-7 2-2 4, Depron 3-12 0-0 6, Gray 1-9 6-6 8, Smith 1-1 0-0 2, Searles 0-1 0-0 0, Geason 2-3 1-2 5. Totals: 21-69 20-27 68.
Texas-Arlington (13-14, 7-9)
Thomas 2-4 1-2 5, Howell 0-0 6-6 6, Epps 2-5 0-0 4, Floyd 1-7 1-2 3, Guidry 9-13 3-5 23, Dawkins 3-7 0-0 8, Griffin 1-2 0-0 2, Sauls 2-5 0-0 4, Henderson 8-10 5-5 21, Posey 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 29-54 16-20 78.
Halftime: UTA 43, NICH 26. Three-point field goals: NICH 4-20 (Wilkins 3-9, Blaszczynski 1-4, King 0-2, Depron 0-2, Gray 0-3), UTA 4-16 (Guidry 2-3, Dawkins 2-5, Sauls 0-2, Epps 0-2, Floyd 0-4). Rebounds: NICH 37 (Blaszczynski 7), UTA 40 (Henderson 10). Assists: NICH 9 (Wilkins 4), UTA 9 (Howell 4). Turnovers: NICH 13 (Blaszczynski 3), UTA 18 (Floyd, Guidry and Howell 3 each). Blocks: NICH 2 (Wilkins, Geason), UTA 6 (Posey, Henderson and Griffin 2). Steals: NICH 7 (King 4), UTA 5 (five with one). Fouls: NICH 19, UTA 24. Fouled out: Thomas. Technical fouls: Thomas. Att.: 695.
