Feb. 14, 2009
ARLINGTON, Tx. - Last month UTA and UT San Antonio played a thrilling double overtime game and while Saturday's game did not go to extra time, it was just as exciting as the Mavericks won 84-82.
Marquez Haynes made sure this game did not go into extra time as he drove the length of the court with less than 10 seconds remaining and pulled up and made a 17-foot jumper with three UTSA defenders around him for the winning basket.
"When I standing on the lane during their free throws, I was thinking about going the length of the floor," said Haynes who finished with a career-high 27 points. "I thought I could speed dribble up the floor and would be able to get a good look and that is what happened."
Haynes made his jumper with 4.4 seconds to play and UTSA had one more attempt to either tie or win the game. Devin Gibson drove the length of the court and got a shot off but it bounced off the rim.
"This game was the same roller coaster ride as the game down there last month," said UTA head coach Scott Cross. "Our guys played well and even though they took the lead at the end of the game with their free throws, Marquez made a great play to get us the win."
The Mavericks would have not found themselves in that position but for a tremendous comeback by UTSA. UTA led by as many as 12 in the first half and as many as 11 in the second half before the Roadrunners continued to fight and actually took the lead with two minutes to play at 74-73.
Anthony Vereen then made two free throws to give the Mavericks the lead and then made a great outlet pass after a rebound following a UTSA miss. The pass found a streaking LaMarcus Reed who converted a 3-point play.
The Mavs found themselves up by 6 with just over a minute remaining but that lead evaporated as Travis Gabbidon made a pair free throws to tie the game at 82 before Haynes' heroics.
The victory was the third in a row for the Mavs which is the third time they have won that many consecutive games this season.
"We need to try and keep building on this streak," said Cross. "It's good to get a win and now we have to go back on the road again and see if we can keep it going."
Haynes final basket gave him a career-high 27 points and Anthony Vereen added 21. Haynes also led the team with seven rebounds.
Gabbidon led UTSA with 18 points.
Both the Mavericks and Roadrunners are now 6-4 in the Southland Conference and two games behind division-leaders Sam Houston State and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
