MBB: Challenging trip heads to Ohio State
11/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 18, 2015
UT Arlington (1-1) at Ohio State (2-0)
Friday | 6 p.m. | Columbus, Ohio
UTA Notes | ESPN3 | KKGM 1630 AM |
By Cassie Logan | @c4ssielogan
ARLINGTON, Texas - Less than one week after its season opener , UT Arlington men 's basketball will be pitted against one of its most challenging opponents this season. The Mavericks play the second of a three-game road stretch Friday at Ohio State.
Tipoff at Value City Arena is set for 6 p.m. CT. The radio broadcast on KKGM 1630 AM begins 6:10 p.m.
The Mavericks are 1-1 after their first road game of the season Tuesday night at Louisiana Tech. UTA fell 80-68 after leading by 10 at the half. The Bulldogs later went on a 15-2 run that triggered the comeback.
"Somebody has to step up for us and be the energizer, " UT Arlington coach Scott Cross said. "Hopefully one of our juniors or sophomores like Erick Neal or Drew Charles can get that energy going.
"It seems like when we don't score on the other end, we 're playing in transition and we don 't have that intensity we need defensively. If we do that, we 're pretty good defensively. "
Neal scored UTA 's first six points of the second half and continued on to reach a career-best 23 points and tie his career-high seven assists. The sophomore starting point guard recorded four boards and three steals in 32 minutes.
Sophomore guard Kaelon Wilson also impressed with 13 points, including a pair of 3-pointers and three steals off the bench. Sophomore forward Kevin Hervey had 10 points and six rebounds. Hervey is the only Maverick to score in double figures in both games this season.
The Buckeyes (2-0) have won both games in the all-time series against UTA. This will be the third consecutive meeting in Columbus with the last coming in 1974. The Mavericks are 0-8 in Big 10 matchups.
Ohio State is coming off of an 82-55 victory at home against Grambling State that saw three players score in double figures. Through two games, the team is shooting 54.2 percent and averaging 42.5 rebounds a game. The Buckeyes are looking to extend a 61-game win streak against unranked non-conference opponents at Value City Arena.
"We have to do a great job taking care of the basketball, " Cross said. "They 're going to have the size and athleticism advantage, so we have to be really good blocking them out and rebounding. We have to do a better job of playing together as a team offensively and working for open jump shots and not just settling for the first available shot. "
After facing the Buckeyes, the Mavericks head to Memphis for Monday night's clash with the Tigers at FedEx Forum.
Single game, season tickets or All Sport Passes are available at UTATickets.comor by contacting the College Park Center Box Office at (817) 272-9595.
