Jan. 22, 2007
Box Score
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - UT Arlington made a furious rally, but could not overcome a 17-point deficit in the final 8:45 of the game as Texas-San Antonio notched their first Southland Conference win of the season with a 72-64 decision over the Mavericks in men's basketball play Monday night at the Convocation Center.
UTSA used a 23-6 run over a nine-minute stretch midway through the game to rally from an eight-point deficit and post their first Southland Conference victory of the Brooks Thompson era.
UT Arlington (5-13, 1-5) was led in scoring Rodrick Epps with a career-high 23 points. Larry Posey had 12 points and seven rebounds and Anthony Vereen chipped in 10. Maverick big man Jermaine Griffin, who entered the game sixth in the league with 14.8 per game average, was held to five points and five rebounds.
UTSA (5-13, 1-4) snapped a seven-game losing skid and avoided tying the longest losing streak in school history with their highest offensive output of the season. Junior Isaiah Allen dropped in a career-high 25 points, Melvin Smith added 17 and Kurt Attaway canned 12 points on 7-of-8 free-throw shooting in the second half.
UT Arlington scored just five points the first 8:21 of the second half as UTSA stretched a 35-31 halftime lead into a 50-36 edge after a Keith Spencer basket with 11:39 to play in the game. The lead swelled to 57-40 after an Allen basket with 8:45, but the Mavs made a furious comeback, scoring 13 straight points over the next 3:45 to cut the lead to 57-53 after a steal and lay up by Epps with 5:39 to play and a Ro'ger Guignard 3-pointer with 5:00 remaining. The Mavs cut the lead to three, 61-58, after a Posey basket with 2:20 remaining, but UTSA made 7-of-8 free throws in the final 1:36 to seal the win.
UT Arlington jumped out to a 12-4 lead in the first five minutes of the game. Epps was hot early, connecting on a 3-pointer to begin the game. He went on to make all five field goals in the first half for 13 points. He couldn't match UTSA's Allen who made 6-of-7 from the field, 4-of-5 from 3-point range for 17 first-half points.
UT Arlington will host Sam Houston State Thursday at 7 p.m. at Texas Hall.
MAV NOTES: Scott Cross returned to the spot he began his college career. Cross spent one season at UTSA (1993-94) before transferring to Tyler Junior College and eventually ending up at UT Arlington where he graduated and went one to become the school's seventh head coach since becoming a four-year school in 1959... UTSA won its fourth straight over the Mavericks... UTA has lost five straight games.
utamavs.com
