ARLINGTON – A balanced UT Arlington offensive attack led the Mavericks to a dominant 117-53 win Tuesday night over Howard Payne inside the College Park Center to conclude their non-conference schedule.
 
UTA established program top-10 single-game marks in several categories, highlighted by eight players scoring in double figures for only the second time in history: Shahada Wells (16), Grayson Carter (13), McKade Marquis (12), David Azore (12), Sam Griffin (12), Brandyn Talbot (11), Lazaro Rojas (11) and Jordan Phillips (10).
 
Among the top-10 single-game Maverick records established on Thursday:

• Points: 117 – Tied for the 9th-most in any game, tied for the 7th-most in a regulation 40-minute contest and the most in any game since 1998.
• Field Goals Made: 46 – The 8th-most all-time and most since 1991.
• 3-Pointers Made: 16 – Tied for the 2nd-most along with a performance at Texas State in 1991; fell one shy of tying the all-time mark of 17 against Bradley in 2015.
• Assists: 31 – Tied for the 4th-most ever and the most since 1991.
• Rebound Margin: +30 (61-31) – Tied for the 7th-largest along with the performance 11 days ago against Hardin-Simmons.
• Final Margin: +64 (117-53) – The 3rd-largest all-time and biggest since 1991.

UTA started the night by scoring the first eight points of the contest and never looked back. The lead reached double-figure points (16-6) at the 16:17 mark, extended to 20+ (30-9) for the first time with 12:19 remaining, reached 30+ (40-9) only two minutes later stretched to 40+ (56-15) with 4 minutes showing.
 
The Mavs settled for a 42-point halftime lead of 67-25, with the 67 points representing the 3rd-most 1st-half points in program history. UTA shot 62 percent (28-45) from the floor in the opening 20 minutes, including a 7-16 clip (44 percent) from the 3-point line.
 
The UTA advantage swelled to 50 (77-27) not even four minutes into the 2nd half and reached 60 (90-30) at the 12:28 mark. The Mavs built their largest lead of the night at 72 (105-33) with 7:41 remaining before completing their second-straight 60+ point win.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• After starting the season 1-4 for the first time since 2001-02, UTA closed out its non-conference slate with a .500 record at 4-4.
• Howard Payne remains at 0-4 on the year as the contest was an exhibition for the Division-III member; the Yellow Jackets have played three such games this season against D-I foes.
• UTA shot a season-best 53 percent (46-87) from the floor while holding HPU to just 27 percent (17-64).
• Despite grabbing 61 rebounds, not one UTA player had double-digit boards; Elame led the way with nine, followed by Talbot and Davis Steelman with eight each.
• A redshirt sophomore, Marquis entered the game with nine career points; he established his career high with 12 on Thursday on 4-5 from 3-point range.
• Redshirt sophomore Carter tallied a career-high point total; he came into the game with 16 points on the year.
• Wells led UTA in scoring for the fifth time already this year.
• Talbot reached double-figure points for the third-straight game. The true freshman entered with four total rebounds on the season; he had eight against the Yellow Jackets.
• Philips has now posted consecutive games of double-figure points. The junior also tied a career high with four assists.
• Azore issued a season-best and team-high six assists while also recording two steals.
• UTA held a 36-10 edge in points off turnovers, 48-14 in paint points, 26-8 in 2nd-chance points and 20-6 in fastbreak points.
• UTA head coach Chris Ogden used his fourth-different starting lineup and fifth overall on the year: Elame, Wells, Azore, Phillips and Fredelin De La Cruz (seven points, seven rebounds).
• The only higher-scoring 1st halves in program history were 78 against the University of Dallas (Dec. 8, 1990) and 69 versus Austin College (Dec. 13, 1966).
• Howard Payne was led by a game-high 21 points from Tyrell Thompson, who also secured a team-best seven rebounds.

 
THIS AND THAT

• UTA is now 4-1 all-time against HPU.
• Maverick associate head coach Greg Young was a four-year men's basketball letterwinner at Howard Payne, graduating with a degree in physical education in 1986. He was the team's captain as a senior.
• The UTA coaching staff – along with some staff members – wore ugly sweaters.

 
NEXT UP
UTA will begin Sun Belt Conference play on the road against defending regular-season champion Little Rock with a pair of games on Jan. 1 and 2. All Sun Belt games this year – with the exception of a few travel partner matchups – will be played in the same venue on consecutive days: Fridays and Saturdays.
   
FOLLOW ALONG
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