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Appalachian State (15-18, 9-9 Sun Belt) 68, UT Arlington (20-12, 10-8 Sun Belt) 84
Sun Belt Conference Championships - Quarterfinals
Friday, March 9, 2018
Lakefront Arena o New Orleans, La.

POSTGAME NOTES

• UTA improved to 20-12 on the season. UTA is 13-2 at home, 5-10 on the road and 2-0 in neutral site games. The Mavericks remain in New Orleans tomorrow for an 11:30 a.m. Sun Belt Conference semifinal contest against top-seeded Louisiana.

• Appalachian State dropped to 15-18 on the season.

• UTA eclipsed the 20-victory mark for the third straight season and the seventh time in program history. UTA has won 71 games over the last three seasons.

• For the third time this season, UTA's starting lineup consisted of forwards Nathan Hawkins and Julian Harris, center Johnny Hamilton and guards Kaelon Wilson and Erick Neal. Kevin Hervey was the first substitute off the bench.

• Senior forward Julian Harris earned his fourth career start against Appalachian State. He has 92 career appearances at UTA.

• Senior guard Erick Neal scored 37 points against Appalachian State on 13-of-18 shooting and 6-for-8 from behind the 3-point arc. His scoring total was the second-highest single game total of his career. He scored 38 against Appalachian State in College Park Center this season.

• Neal surpassed two preview scoring marks: UTA's record for most points in a Sun Belt Conference Tournament game was 26 points by Jamel Outler against Louisiana on March 14, 2014. The Mavericks' record for most points in a conference tournament game was Marquez Haynes' 36 points against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the Southland Tournament on March 12, 2009.

• Erick Neal scored 24 first half points, all in the first 10 minutes of the game. He went 9-for-9 from the field and 5-of-5 from behind the 3-point arc during that period.

• Erick Neal handed out 3 assists against Appalachian State, giving him 214 this season, the third-highest single season total in program history. Neal owns three of the top four single season marks at UTA.

• Erick Neal registered 2 steals against Appalachian State. He now has 215 in his career, the fourth highest career total in program history. Ronnell Peters was fourth with 215 from 1982-86.

• Senior forward Kevin Hervey went 6-of-14 from the field for 17 points against Appalachian State. His 237 field goals this season is the second-highest single season total in program history. He surpassed Cal Tate (233, 1977-78) and Larry Moore (235, 1972-73).

• Neal's 37 points tied for the third most in a Sun Belt Championships game (any round) since the 1996-97 season. Dee Brown scored 41 points in 1990 for Jacksonville.

• In three games against Appalachian State this season, Neal has scored 102 total points, shot 35-of-61 from the field, 15-of-26 from beyond the 3-point arc, 17-of-18 from the free throw line and handed out 14 assists.