March 10, 2017

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New Orleans, La. -- The inside duo of Kevin Hervey and Jorge Bilbao were nearly unstoppable as the top-seeded UTA men's basketball team defeated Coastal Carolina 74-51 in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Championships in Lakefront Arena.

Hervey registered game-highs of 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Bilbao added 14 points and 10 boards to keep the Mavericks' NCAA Tournament chances alive. UTA won the league's regular season title and is rated 36th in today's official NCAA ratings percentage index. The winner of the Sun Belt Championships earns the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Championships, while UTA's profile will merit discussion to receive an at-large invitation.

The victory over Coastal Carolina gave UTA its program-record 25th victory of the season. The Mavericks improved to 25-7 and advances to an 11:30 a.m. semifinal contest tomorrow against the winner of No. 4 seeded Texas State and upstart 12th seed ULM.

The Mavericks, which earned a first round bye while Coastal Carolina defeated South Alabama in Wednesday's first round, shot just 1-of-13 from behind the 3-point arc during the first 20 minutes. But, a 26-17 rebounding lead during the first half kept the Chanticleers from taking advantage as UTA took a slim 29-27 lead into the locker room.

The tide turned in the second half with the Mavericks able to find their shooting touch. Jalen Jones opened the half with a 3-pointer less than a minute into the half and Hervey connected on all three of his long range shots during a key stretch midway through the half.

UTA was able to lead by as many as 25 points late in the game by connecting on outside shots, limiting second chances and making 11 of its 14 free throw attempts.

UTA was honored as the regular season champions, while Hervey received his Sun Belt Player of the Year award during a special pregame ceremony. The league also recognized Erick Neal for his second team all-league honor and three UTA player for earning academic honors.