Dec. 19, 2006
Box Score
RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Jermaine Griffin poured in a career-high 27 points, including the game-winning basket with 9.4 seconds to play as the Mavericks rallied from a six-point deficit in the final 1:01 to defeat UC-Riverside 78-77, in front of 317 at the Student Recreation Center here Monday night.
The win snaps a four-game losing streak for UT Arlington (4-5) while UC-Riverside (3-7) drops its fifth straight.
UTA went back to formula that gave them three wins in four games to start the season - pound the inside.
Jermaine Griffin led the Mavericks after hitting 13 of 19 from the field. Forwards Anthony Vereen chipped in 13 and Tommy Moffitt added 11. UCR was led by Henrik Thomsen with a career-high 23 points. Dedrick Bates (13), Chris Johnson (10) and Justin Bell (10) also scored in double figures.
The Mavericks did not lead in the second half until a goal tending call on Griffin's winning basket with :09 to play. UCR got the ball and called time out with :04 to play, but a Bates shot in the lane was off the mark to preserve the win.
UTA scored 20 points in the final 3:30 of the game to complete the comeback. Trailing 69-62 after a Christian Soto with 2:20 remaining, Brandon Long nailed a 3-pointer with 2:09 to play to make it 69-65. Thomsen extended the lead to six, 73-67, with a lay up with 1:01 to play. A driving lay up by Rodrick Epps and a Ro'ger Guignard 3-pointer cut the lead to 73-72 with 48 seconds to play. Thomsen canned two free throws for a 75-72 lead. Epps and Bates traded lay ups, but Posey cut the lead to 77-76 with 17 seconds to play to set the stage for the Griffin winner.
UC-Riverside used a 10-0 run early in the second half to pull away from the UT Arlington Mavericks and take a 54-44 lead after five straight points from Bell, including a 3-pointers with 13:07 to play in the game. The Highlanders kept a seven-point lead until the final 2:07 of the game when the Mavericks rallied
The Mavs front court scored 30 of UTAs 36 first-half points. Griffin had 13 by intermission and Vereen added eight points.
UT Arlington went on a 20-9 run in the second half to erase a 12-8 UCR lead and take a 28-21 edge after back-to-back three-point plays by Tommy Moffitt. The Highlanders ended the half with a 17-8 run to regain the lead at halftime, 38-36.
NOTES: Griffin posted his third game of the season with 20-or-more points and the fourth of his career. utamavs.com
