Feb. 10, 2007
Box Score
LAKE CHARLES, La. - Ro'ger Guignard canned a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired with :36.8 seconds to play to lift UT Arlington to a 52-46 win over McNeese State in Southland Conference men's basketball play at Burton Coliseum Saturday afternoon.
The win was UT Arlington's fourth straight (10-14, 5-6) and leap frogs them past McNeese State for sixth place in the conference standings. McNeese State falls to 9-15 overall and 4-7 in SLC play.
Rodrick Epps led the Mavs with 13 points. Guignard had four 3-pointers for 12 points and Jermaine Griffin added nine points before fouling out.
Jarvis Bradley scored the first 10 points of the second half, led McNeese State with 17 points and eight rebounds.
McNeese State went on an 8-0 run in the final 4:00 of the game to trail 47-46 with 1:08 to play after Bradley made two free throws. UT Arlington took the ball and Guignard had to take the long jumper as the shot clock expired with 36.8 seconds remaining to stretch the lead to 50-46. Cardell Hunter made two free throws with 8.3 seconds left for the final margin.
"It was an ugly game," said UTA Head Men's Basketball Coach Scott Cross. "They went after us defensively and I thought we played hard and did some good things defensively. We made some big shots in the game when it looked like they would make a run at us and that's a tribute to our guys not being intimidated by their big guys."
UT Arlington led the defensive struggle, 24-21, at halftime. The Mavs shot 26.7% (8-of-30) from the field in the first half but mixed up a 3-2 zone defense and a half-court trap to turn nine McNeese State turnovers into 10 points.
McNeese went on an 8-0 run to build a 17-12 lead after a John Ford jumper with 8;27 left in the half.
UTA responded with six straight as Matt Read scored a basket, Ro'ger Guignard canned a 3-pointer and Read free throw gave the Mavs an 18-17 lead with 5:46 in the half. UTA stretched the lead to 23-19 after a Terrell Henry dunk. After Eric Massey's basket cut the lead to 23-21, Brandon Long made one of two free throws for a three-point lead after halftime.
