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best of 2015-16 men's basketball beats ohio state

Men's Basketball

BestOf15-16: Mavs upend Ohio State, Memphis on the road

Aug. 5, 2016

UTAMavs.com | @UTAMavs

Ohio State game story & video | Memphis game story & video

ARLINGTON, Texas - The UT Arlington sports year was filled with upsets, championships, buzzer-beaters and memorable performances that will go down in Maverick history.

Leading up to the 2016-17 seasons beginning with UTA volleyball in August, UTA Athletics is making sure we do not forget the accomplishments of the past season. Running from June through August, we will be counting down the top-15 moments and performances with "Best of 2015-16" features.

Moment No. 1: Men's Basketball Upends Ohio State, Memphis On The Road
It wasn't quite March Madness, but UT Arlington gave the country a preview of upsets to come in November when it went on the road and picked up consecutive wins over signature programs in Ohio State and Memphis.

Arguably the biggest wins in program history, Scott Cross' team thrust itself into the national spotlight with the victories as part of a 13-2 start to the 2015-16 season. The Mavs' finished the season 24-11 and advanced three rounds deep into the CIT, but still look back on that road trip to Columbus and Memphis as one of the peaks of an unforgettable season.

After splitting games against Fordham and Louisiana Tech to open the season, the Mavs traveled to Columbus, Ohio, on Nov. 20 for its third-ever meeting with the Buckeyes. The teams traded leads throughout the first half with Ohio State taking a 34-32 edge into the halftime locker room, despite UTA hitting only 38.9 percent from the floor and 1-for-9 from beyond the three-point arc.

But all of that changed in the second half as the Mavs connected on five triples in the final 20 minutes. The turning point came when Kevin Hervey knocked down a pair of free throws after a Buckeye technical foul, followed by a three by Jalen Jones to give UTA a 57-48 lead with just 8:35 remaining in the game.

From there UTA kept Ohio State at arm's length, not letting the Buckeyes within five points until a three from Keita Bates-Diop made it a 69-66 lead with just 13 seconds left. But UTA followed with four consecutive made foul shots and was good on 7-for-8 from the charity stripe in the final 31 seconds to ice it away for a 73-68 win.

Hervey led the Mavs on the night with 18 points in 26 minutes despite battling through foul trouble, while Erick Neal added 17 points and seven assists and Faith Pope had 11 points off the bench.

It was the UTA's first-ever win over a Big 10 school in nine tries, and its first win over the Buckeyes.

But the Mavs weren't done, pulling another upset just three nights later at the FedEx Forum with a 68-64 win over Memphis. To do so UTA had to withstand a second-half charge from the Tigers who erased a 10-point deficit with a 15-0 run before the Mavs regrouped and claimed its first win over Memphis in three tries.

Once again it was Hervey leading the way with 22 points and 11 rebounds while Neal added 13 points and Jones another 15.

UTA had to overcome a massive disparity at the foul line on the night as the Tigers attempted 44 foul shots on the night, including 31 in the second half; however, Memphis connected from the stripe just 28 times while UTA finished just 11-for-19.

Threes from Hervey and Neal gave UTA its largest lead of the first half at 28-17 before taking a 31-21 lead into the half. But Memphis' 15-0 run gave it a 47-42 lead midway through the second period before the Mavs responded with a 15-8 spurt to retake the lead.

The Mavs held the Tigers to less than 30 percent shooting on the night and owned the paint to the tune of a 38-22 advantage.

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Players Mentioned

Jalen Jones

#10 Jalen Jones

G
6' 3"
Junior
1L
Faith Pope

#34 Faith Pope

F
6' 7"
Junior
1L
Erick Neal

#1 Erick Neal

G
5' 11"
Freshman
HS
Kevin Hervey

#25 Kevin Hervey

F
6' 9"
Freshman
3L

Players Mentioned

Jalen Jones

#10 Jalen Jones

6' 3"
Junior
1L
G
Faith Pope

#34 Faith Pope

6' 7"
Junior
1L
F
Erick Neal

#1 Erick Neal

5' 11"
Freshman
HS
G
Kevin Hervey

#25 Kevin Hervey

6' 9"
Freshman
3L
F