11/16/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
UT Arlington (1-0) at Louisiana Tech (1-0)
Tuesday | 6:30 p.m. | Ruston, LA
UTA Notes | LA Tech notes | KKGM 1630 AM |
By Art Garcia | @ArtGarcia92
ARLINGTON, Texas -- UT Arlington men's basketball returns to action following a season-opening win by starting a three-game road stretch Tuesday night at Louisiana Tech.
Tipoff at Thomas Assembly Center is set for 6:30 p.m. The radio broadcast on KKGM 1630 AM starts at 6:10 p.m.
The Mavericks (1-0) beat Fordham 77-72 on Saturday night at College Park Center. Junior college transfer forward Faith Pope came off the bench to score a team-high 14 points. Three starters scored in double figures -- sophomore forward Kevin Hervey (12), junior college transfer guard Jalen Jones (11) and junior forward Jorge Bilbao (10).
"Our guys played with a lot of heart and intensity in the game," UT Arlington coach Scott Cross said. "Some of the little things like diving on the floor for loose balls are what separated us. Our bench was really good. They gave us a tremendous lift and were a big part of the reason why we won that basketball game."
Pope made the most out of his Division I debut by knocking down 5-of-6 shots from the floor, including 2-3 from 3-point territory. He also hit both of his foul shots, grabbed three rebounds, had two steals and a block in 19 minutes.
"It felt good to get the first game out of the way and shake the nervousness out," Pope said.
The Bulldogs lead the all-time series with UTA 24-8. LA Tech won both meetings during the 2012-13 season when both programs were in the WAC. The Bulldogs rolled over Millsaps College 95-33 on Friday in their season opener.
"They'll be a very talented team, just like all the teams we face," Cross said. "It's about us. We have to take care of the basketball. We have to play great defense. We have to win the battle of the boards."
The Mavericks follow LA Tech with games at Ohio State (Friday) and Memphis (Nov. 23).
Single game, season tickets or All Sport Passes are available at UTATickets.com or by contacting the College Park Center Box Office at (817) 272-9595.
