March 8, 2007
HOUSTON, Texas -
SLC Tournament notes
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Two of the hottest teams in the final month of the Southland Conference regular season will collide in the opening round of the O'Reilly Auto Parts Southland Conference Basketball Tournament when fourth-seed, McNeese State takes on fifth-seed UT Arlington.
The game is scheduled for an 8:30 p.m. tip off Thursday in the final quarterfinal game of the day at the Campbell Center in Aldine, Texas. The winner advances to Friday's semifinal game between the winner of top-seed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi/eighth-seed Southeastern Louisiana at 8:30 p.m.
ABOUT MCNEESE STATE
McNeese State (14-16, 9-7) has won five of its last six games after eliminating Nicholls State from the tournament, 77-76 on Saturday. Cowboy guards Troy Aaron and John Ford combined for 42 points, 10 assists and six steals in the win. Forward Jarvis Bradley had 19 points and six rebounds. He is the team's leading scorer (14.5 ppg.) and rebounder (7.4 rpg.).
MORE ON THE MAVERICKS,/b>
UT Arlington (13-16, 8-8) tied for the best conference record in the second half of the season after starting the campaign 1-5 in the SLC. UTA has won eight of its last 11 games, including a 93-84 win over Texas State last Saturday after Texas Hall.
The Mavs went with the lineup of Ro'ger Guignard, Brandon Long, Larry Posey, Anthony Vereen and Tommy Moffitt. The lineup is 2-0 after the change when former starters Jermaine Griffin, Rodrick Epps and Cardell Hunter were suspended for a game following the Mavs' 92-78 loss at Sam Houston State. The trio missed the Mavs' 69-62 win over Stephen F. Austin on Feb. 24.
Guignard was named the SLC's Freshman of the Year by the league's coaches, SIDs and media earlier this week. He has 69 3-pointers this season and will become the second player to make 70 3-pointers in a single season, joining the school's all-time leading scorer Willie Brand.
Five UTA players hail from the Greater Houston area - Jermaine (Houston Sterling HS), Terrell Henry (Houston Gulf Shores Academy), Anthony Vereen (Houston Gulf Shores Academy), Jeremy Dewalt (Cypress Fairbanks HS) and Larry Posey (Houston Milby HS).
TOURNAMENT TIDBITS
Persons can watch all 14 SLC Tournament games online for $14.95. Go to www.southland.org to gain all-access. Tournament games will also be available on Gametracker free-of-charge. Audio webcasts of UT Arlington games will be on Time Warner Cable (Channel 99). .and on utamavs.com with Bobby Anderson providing the play-by-play.
