MBB: #MavCity hosts #DunkCity Saturday afternoon
12/8/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
UTA Tickets | Gameday Links | UTA Press Notes | FGCU Press Notes | Video Preview
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Two of the most entertaining programs in college basketball square-off Saturday afternoon in College Park Center.
After dropping a heart-breaking 62-58 road decision at defensive-minded Northern Iowa Thursday night, the UT Arlington men's basketball team will host high-flying Florida Gulf Coast University less than 48 hours later.
Tomorrow's contest against FGCU, nicknamed "Dunk City," is scheduled for a 2 p.m. (CST) tipoff in UTA's beautiful College Park Center (capacity 7,000). Tickets are available online at UTATickets.com or by calling (817) 272-9595. All youth ages 18 and under are admitted to UTA men and women's game free of charge through January 6. Fans attending Saturday's "blackout" game will receive a free t-shirt.
HOW TO WATCH / LISTEN
Saturday's game will be streamed live via ESPN3 (WatchESPN.com, WatchESPN App) with Ron Thulin and Robert Gill on the call. Voice of the Mavs Josh Sours will provide an audio description of the game for Dallas-Fort Worth area listeners on KEXB 620 AM and online through TuneIn.com and its popular TuneIn app. Links to live coverage, including Gametracker statistics, are available by clicking here.
SERIES HISTORY
The only contest in series history took place last season with FGCU overcoming a 16-point UTA lead to claim an 85-72 victory at Alico Arena in Fort Myers, Fla. UTA raced out to an early lead by shooting 60 percent from the field through the 18 minutes of the game. But, the Eagles mounted a comeback to take the lead midway through the second half and never trailed again. Guards Brandon Goodwin and Zach Johnson led all scorers with 24 points apiece. Kevin Hervey led UTA with 13 points.
ABOUT THE MAVS
UTA enters Saturday's game with an impressive 7-2 record and a 4-game home win streak. The Mavericks are ranked No. 2 in the most recent collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll (behind Gonzaga) and are off to the second-best start in program history.
After opening the year with a narrow 85-80 win over Loyola Marymount, UTA claimed a decisive 89-75 victory at BYU. Following a one point (77-76) setback at then 25th-ranked Alabama, the Mavericks have steadily moved up the national rankings.
UTA features an expected starting lineup consisting of forwards Kevin Hervey and Nathan Hawkins, center Johnny Hamilton and guards Kaelon Wilson and Erick Neal. Each of the trio of Hamilton, Hervey and Neal feature prominently among the NCAA national statistical rankings. Neal leads the nation in assists and is also among the leaders in double doubles. Hervey ranks among the top 15 in scoring, while Hamilton is among the leaders in field goal percentage and blocked shots.
HEAD COACH SCOTT CROSS
Scott Cross, the winningest coach in program history, enters the FGCU game with a 211-150 record in his 12th season as the head coach of the Mavericks. A 1998 graduate of UTA, Cross was a 2-time CoSIDA Academic All-America selection as a player before spending seven seasons as a UTA assistant coach under Eddie McCarter. He is a 2-time conference coach of the year and earned NABC District 24 Coast of the Year honors last year.
LAST TIME OUT
The UT Arlington men's basketball team was unable to overcome one of the country's top defensive units tonight as the Mavericks shot a season low 37.5 percent in a 62-58 setback to Northern Iowa in the McLeod Center. Kevin Hervey paced the Mavericks with a team-high 17 points, while point guard Erick Neal added 14 points and seven assists as UTA (7-2) dropped only its second decision of the season. Center Johnny Hamilton equaled his UTA career best with 15 rebounds. Northern Iowa (7-2), ranked 26th in the NCAA's most recent ratings percentage index (RPI), was led by hot-shooting forward Klint Carlson's 24 points on 8-of-13 from the field and 6-of-8 from behind the 3-point arc. Guard Spencer Haldeman was the only other Panther in double figures with 10 points.
QUOTABLE
"(FGCU and UNI) are two quality teams that would be at the top of the Sun Belt Conference. Northern Iowa would be one of the best defensive teams in the league, then you flip it around and play Florida Gulf Coast which would be one of the best offensive teams. It is a quick turnaround. We will have fewer than 24 hours from the time we land in Dallas (today) to get ready and prepare. But, it is like a conference tournament situation. This gives us a bit of a preview of what is going to happen in March. There isn't much time to prepare. You just have to go out and be ready to play.
"I think our guys saw some positives things from last night in the way we defended and rebounded. If we can continue to build on that, we will get the results we want.
"Tomorrow's game should be super exciting for the fans. Two of the top mid-major programs. Two of the top offensive teams. Last year's game was exciting. They can really score the basketball. They have quality big guys and guards who can shoot it and drive to the basket and score. It should make for an extremely entertaining game."
ABOUT FGCU
Under 5th year head coach Joe Dooley, FGCU has continued to remain one of the most recognizable mid-major programs in the nation. Nicknamed "Dunk City" under former coach Andy Enfield during its run to the NCAA Sweet 16 in XXXX, the Eagles led the nation last season in points in the paint and have continued that trend this season. FGCU enters Saturday's game with a 6-4 record following a disappointing home loss to in-state rival Florida Atlantic on Wednesday. The Eagles average 83.9 points per game and own solid wins over Illinois State, Siena and Denver, while two of their four losses have been to Middle Tennessee - a top 15 NCAA RPI program.
Senior guard Brandon Goodwin leads three FGCU players who score in double figures. The UCF transfer averages 17.7 points per game, while leading the team in assists with 4.3 per game. Backcourt mate Zach Johnson is scoring 14.6 points per game, while sharpshooting guard Christian Terrell averages 13.8 points per game while shooting .531 from behind the 3-point arc. Terrell is also the team's leading rebounder at 6.5 per game as the Eagles are outrebounding opponents by eight per game.
SCATTERSHOOTING
UTA is 31-3 in College Park Center over the last 3 seasons … The Mavericks received 15 votes in this week's USA Today poll, good for 35th nationally … Kevin Hervey has moved into 7th on the career scoring list at UTA with 1,288 points. He is just 20 points away from 5th … Erick Neal is just 27 assists away from becoming the school's all-time career leader … UTA has won 21-straight regular season games in College Park Center, dating back to the 2015-16 season. The only loss during that time was a 4-point setback to CSU Bakersfield in last season's NIT quarterfinals … Every fan attending Saturday's game will receive a special "blackout" t-shirt … UTA returns to action next weekend when it travels to UTRGV and Creighton … UTA's next home game is scheduled for Dec. 21 against Cal Poly.
HOLIDAY HOOPS YOUTH TICKETS
For the entire month of December (through Jan. 6), all youth ages 18 and under will be admitted free to UTA home men and women's basketball games. Tickets are available at the College Park Center box office prior to each game.
PURCHASE UTA HOME GAME TICKETS
Single game, group and specially-priced multi-game ticket packages 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. 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 per game. 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.
