Dec. 1, 2007
Box Score
UT Arlington's inside trio of Jermaine Griffin, Larry Posey and Anthony Vereen all scored in double figures as the Mavericks jumped out to a 10-point lead in the first eight minutes of the game and never trailed in a 80-57 victory over Western Illinois at Texas Hall Saturday afternoon.
UT Arlington (7-0) continues its best start in history and tied a record with its 12 th straight win at Texas Hall. Western Illinois (2-5) lost its third straight game.
Griffin almost posted his second straight 20-plus point game with 19 points and seven rebounds and Vereen came off the bench to score 14. Posey posted his third career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Guards Brandon Long chipped in 10. Nikola Bodic led Western Illinois with 10 points. David Jackson, who had 19 points and eight rebounds in last year's meeting, was held to four points and one rebound before fouling out with 8:17 to play in the game.
"We came out with great intensity and challenged every shot (in the first half)," said UT Arlington Head Men's Basketball Coach Scott Cross. "I thought it was our most complete effort of the season.
"Jermaine (Griffin) has really stepped his game up over the last game and a half. He can be dominating and he showed that today. I thought our inside play was extremely good, not only offensively but also defensively."
UTA outrebounded WIU 55-33 and held the Leathernecks to 27.9 percent shooting from the field (17-of-61).
UTA led by as many as 32, 64-32, after a Jeremy Dewalt 3-pointer with 9:22 left in the game.
Griffin, Posey and Vereen outscored WIU 31 to 20 in the first half as UTA built a 22-point lead, 39-17, on a Griffin dunk with 1:02 left in the first half.
The Mavericks held WIU to two field goals in the first 10:30 of the first half to build a 20-5 lead after a three-point play by Griffin with 9:27 to play in the half.
UT Arlington travels to Wichita State Friday at 7 p.m.
GAME NOTES: UT Arlington set a school record with their fifth win over a Division I non-conference opponent in a season... UTA has not trailed in the last 127 minutes of play... The last time was when North Texas led 16-14 with 7:02 left in the first half... UTA held their fourth opponent below 60 points this season... Griffin recorded his third double-double of the season.
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