Nov. 21, 2017

Final Stats | Quotes | Notes | Photo Gallery

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- In a game that came down to the last shot, the UT Arlington men's basketball team battled valiantly but dropped a 77-76 decision at 25th ranked Alabama Tuesday in Coleman Coliseum.

UTA senior Kevin Hervey led the Mavericks with 24 points, while classmate Erick Neal registered his third-straight double-double with 16 points and 12 assists. UTA dropped to 2-1 on the season and returns to action Friday against Western Carolina in Buffalo, N.Y.

Alabama, which entered the Associated Press top 25 this week for the first time since Dec., 2011, improved to 3-1 and will face BYU Friday in Brooklyn, N.Y.

The Crimson Tide were led by freshman guard Collin Sexton's 29 points, which included an 11-for-14 performance from the free throw line.

UTA jumped out to an early advantage right from the tipoff, leading by as many as 12 points just 15 minutes into the game. The Mavericks shot 63 percent from the field during the first 20 minutes, buoyed by Hervey's 6-for-6 shooting and 3-for-3 performance from behind the 3-point arc.

The Crimson Tide chipped away at UTA's lead and, eventually, tied the game at 51-51 on a pair of Sexton free throws with 14:15 remaining. The two teams traded the lead until the home side went on a 14-5 run over a six minute period late in the game.

With Alabama leading by a game-high seven points with 3:35 remaining, Neal connected on consecutive 3-pointers to bring UTA back to within one point with 2:28 left. Another Sexton foul shot put the hosts back up by two points before Hervey made two free throws to tie the game at 73-73 with 1:33 left.

Alabama went up by four late in the game before Neal made another 3-pointer with just :19.6 seconds on the clock to climb to within one point at 77-76. A stout defensive effort forced a turnover on the Crimson Tide inbounds play to give UTA the game's final possession.

But, UA well defended the final shot and came away with the victory in front of 11,737 Crimson Tide faithful.

UTA returns to action Friday at 6 p.m. (CST) against Western Carolina in a neutral site contest at Niagara University's Gallagher Center. The game will be preceded by Niagara hosting Alabama A&M at 3 p.m. The results of Friday's games will determine Saturday's matchups and game times. All four games, along with UTA's contests at BYU and Alabama, are part of the Barclays Center Classic.

The Mavericks return home Monday, Nov. 27 for the first of three straight games at College Park Center with a 7 p.m. contest against UT Dallas. Tickets are on sale online at UTATickets.com, via phone at (817) 272-9595 or at the UTA Box Office during weekday business hours. Call ahead to determine box office hours. Use promo code CYBER on UTATickets.com to receive a ticket to the UT Dallas game for just $2.

PURCHASE UTA HOME GAME TICKETS
Full season and single game tickets to attend UTA men and women's basketball events are on sale through the UTA Box Office in person or by calling (817) 272-8585 and online through UTATickets.com. Season tickets are available for as low as $99 for all 30 men and women's games, which comes out to $3.30 per game. Single game tickets are priced at $8, $12 and $25 per game, depending on seat location. UTA students and faculty staff tickets are available for just $5 for a single game or at a reduced rate for season tickets. Discount Maverick Club (season) and general public (single game) parking is also available. Visit UTATickets.com for detailed information.

FOLLOW THE MAVS SOCIALLY
For up-to-date news, photos, videos and updates you can follow UTA sports program online at UTAMavs.com or via any of several social media accounts on twitter @UTAMavs, Instagram @UTAMavs, Snapchat @UTAMavs and Facebook at UTArlingtonAthletics. Follow the UTA basketball programs on Twitter at @UTA_MBB and @LadyMavHoops.