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By Art Garcia | UTAMavs.com

TROY, Alabama - UT Arlington had its five-game winning streak snapped with Monday night's 71-66 Sun Belt Conference loss to Troy at Trojan Arena.

The Mavericks dropped to 8-5 overall and 2-1 in the league play, one game back of SBC leader Louisiana. UTA hadn't lost since a 63-53 setback at Texas on Dec. 6.

The Mavericks led for the majority of the second half, but Troy (6-6, 1-2) finished the game with a 9-0 run. The Trojans had lost the only two previous meetings in the series - both last season.

"Offensively, it seemed like we didn't move the ball and guys were taking quick shots instead of working for great shots," UT Arlington coach Scott Cross said. "Defensively, we didn't guard at all. You have to give them credit because they really drove us, they were the more aggressive team and they got to the free throw line. It was a very disappointing performance."

UT Arlington guard Johnny Hill registered a season-high scoring performance for the second straight game with 19 points, but missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer in the closing seconds.

After scoring 15 in Saturday's 99-87 win over South Alabama, the junior made 7 of 13 shots and 5 of 6 free throws. Hill also dished out a team-high four assists and grabbed seven rebounds.

Troy guard Wesley Person led all scorers with 31 points. The Trojans shot 53.2 percent, the highest showing against UTA since Kentucky (56.6 percent) on Nov. 25.

There wasn't much separation in the first half, as Mavericks and Trojans traded the lead seven times and the score was tied seven times. Troy had the most extensive run of the half with a 9-0 spurt to go up 19-16 after UTA had taken its biggest lead.

Easy looks were hard to come at both ends, leading to shooting percentages in the low 40s for each side. The Mavericks were called for 10 fouls in the first half, leading to a 12-5 each in free throws for Troy.

Person topped all scorers with 17 points in the first on 6-9 shooting, including 3-3 on 3-pointers. Hill had a team-high nine points, and gave UTA a 36-34 lead going into halftime with two free throws with 10.9 seconds left.

Forward Greg Gainey had eight points off the bench, as the Mavs enjoyed a 22-4 edge in points in the paint. UTA's bench outscored Troy's 14-7.

After falling behind 41-40, the Mavericks regained the lead with a 5-0 run. The Trojans didn't help their cause with a technical leading to a pair of free throws and another foul following a 3-pointer from guard Jamel Outler.

Troy responded with a 10-4 spurt before back-to-back three-point plays from Hill and forward Jorge Bilbao, plus another Hill layup gave UTA a 57-53 edge. The Mavericks would stay on top into the final two minutes.

Troy retook the lead 67-66 on Chris Bilbo's layup with 1:46 remaining and made it a three-point game with 18.5 seconds left.

NOTES: UTA hadn't won six straight since a 16-game winning streak during the 2011-12 season. ... UTA used its seventh different starting lineup. Guard Lonnie McClanahan started the second half in place of injured guard Drew Charles. ... UTA dropped to 7-1 when leading at halftime.

NEXT: The Mavericks return to College Park Center for a two-game homestand starting Thursday against ULM. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. after the women's UTA-ULM matchup. Tickets are available at UTATickets.com and 817-272-9595.