Feb. 19, 2017 Tickets | Watch | Listen | Statistics | UTA Notes | GS Notes | SBC Notes
STATESBORO, Ga. - The UTA men's basketball team had very little time to enjoy its dramatic win at Georgia State last night.
Just 48 hours after Erick Neal nailed a game-winning 3-pointer for a 68-67 win over the Panthers, the league-leading Mavericks visit Hanner Fieldhouse for another crucial Sun Belt Conference contest.
UTA brings its 20-6 overall record and 10-3 league mark into Monday's 6 p.m. (CST) contest at league title contender Georgia Southern (17-10, 10-4). The Eagles are just one-half game behind the Mavs in the SBC standings and will be playing their final home game of the regular season.
Monday's game will televised live by American Sports Network and streamed live on ESPN3. In addition, a live radio broadcast of the men's game will be available throughout the DFW Metroplex on KEXB 620 AM and via the popular TuneIn app on smartphones and tablets. Links to complete game coverage, including video, audio and live statistics, are available on UTAMavs.com.
UTA fans are invited to a special watch party at Grease Monkey in Downtown Arlington. Food and drink specials, as well as a variety of prizes, will be available.
UTA has won eight of its last nine games and has reached the 20-win mark for just the sixth time in program history. Head coach Scott Cross owns four of the program's six 20-win seasons en route to becoming the program's all-time winningest coach in overall victories and percentage.
The Mavericks enter Monday's game with an official NCAA ratings percentage index (RPI) of 36th in the country. Georgia Southern is the second-highest rated team in the Sun Belt at 117th.
Junior forward Kevin Hervey continues to confirm why Sun Belt coaches selected him the league's preseason player of the year. The Arlington, Texas native average 16.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game and has surpassed the 20-point barrier seven times in his last 11 outings.
He has 10 double-doubles and ranks second in the Sun Belt in both scoring and rebounding in league games and is third in field goal percentage.
Neal, a preseason first team all-league selection, is among the national leaders in assists at 6.7 per game and tops the league charts in steals with 2.0 against SBC competition. He has 10 double-figure assist performances this season.
He earned national attention by draining a 30-foot 3-point field goal with just 1.1 seconds remaining to deliver a 68-67 victory last night at Georgia State. With 10 seconds left, UTA inbound the ball. When the intended play did not develop as planned, Neal stepped-up and connected on the game-winner.
Georgia Southern owns a 10-1 home record and has won 9-straight in Hanner Fieldhouse this season. The Eagles feature two of the top scorers in the Sun Belt in sophomores Ike Smith and Tookie Brown - the third-highest freshman scoring duo in the nation last season.
UTA returns to College Park Center next weekend for its final two home games of the regular season. The Mavs host South Alabama on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 4:30 p.m., then look forward to a rematch against Troy on Monday at 7 p.m. The weekend will feature the final two home contests for seniors Jorge Bilbao, Drew Charles, Jalen Jones and Faith Pope.
Tickets are available online at UTATickets.com or during weekday business hours by calling the UTA Box Office at (817) 272-9595. Specially priced group and youth team ticket packages are available.
