UTA Loses 2nd-Leading Scorer Pedro Castro For The Season
12/19/2021 1:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
ARLINGTON – The UT Arlington men's basketball team will be without its 2nd-leading scorer Pedro Castro for the remainder of the season after the graduate transfer underwent back surgery on Saturday.
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Castro suffered the injury just three minutes into UTA's contest at Oral Roberts on Thursday and did not return.
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Castro was averaging 7.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and had made a team-best nine 3-pointers for the Mavericks as one of just three players to start all nine contests. He had led UTA in scoring three times already this year, including a 17-point outing at San Diego State on Nov. 20 and a 16-point performance in a win at UC Santa Barbara on Nov. 29.
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The 6-6 Fort Worth product began his career at UTA before transferring to Blinn College and then Houston Baptist before making his way back to the Mavs prior to this season. He was one of just nine Division-I players in the country this year playing for the school in which they started their college career, transferred out of that school and then returned to that school.
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Last season with Houston Baptist, Castro led the Huskies in scoring (14.8), rebounding (7.3), steals (1.5), blocks (1.1), 3-pointers made (49) and 3-point percentage (.480).
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"We understand injuries are part of the game, but it's unfortunate that a graduate student-athlete who came back to play for us got hurt. We wish Pedro the absolute best, and we know he's in good hands with the doctors," said UTA head coach Greg Young. "Pedro has been through adversity before, but I'm confident he'll come back healthy and we will do everything we can to support him.
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"We understand as a team that things like this happen and we have to move forward," Young added. "I've always said that the crown jewel of good teams is their depth, and we'll have to rely on ours now."
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The Mavs play at Oklahoma on Sunday afternoon before concluding their non-conference schedule with a home game against Howard Payne on Wednesday, Dec. 22. UTA opens Sun Belt Conference play Dec. 30 by hosting South Alabama.
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FOLLOW ALONG
For updates, behind-the-scenes photos, videos and more engaging and personal content, be sure to follow the men's basketball program on Twitter (@UTAMavsMBB), Instagram (@UTAMavsMBB) and Facebook (/UTAMavsMBB).
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Castro suffered the injury just three minutes into UTA's contest at Oral Roberts on Thursday and did not return.
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Castro was averaging 7.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and had made a team-best nine 3-pointers for the Mavericks as one of just three players to start all nine contests. He had led UTA in scoring three times already this year, including a 17-point outing at San Diego State on Nov. 20 and a 16-point performance in a win at UC Santa Barbara on Nov. 29.
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The 6-6 Fort Worth product began his career at UTA before transferring to Blinn College and then Houston Baptist before making his way back to the Mavs prior to this season. He was one of just nine Division-I players in the country this year playing for the school in which they started their college career, transferred out of that school and then returned to that school.
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Last season with Houston Baptist, Castro led the Huskies in scoring (14.8), rebounding (7.3), steals (1.5), blocks (1.1), 3-pointers made (49) and 3-point percentage (.480).
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"We understand injuries are part of the game, but it's unfortunate that a graduate student-athlete who came back to play for us got hurt. We wish Pedro the absolute best, and we know he's in good hands with the doctors," said UTA head coach Greg Young. "Pedro has been through adversity before, but I'm confident he'll come back healthy and we will do everything we can to support him.
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"We understand as a team that things like this happen and we have to move forward," Young added. "I've always said that the crown jewel of good teams is their depth, and we'll have to rely on ours now."
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The Mavs play at Oklahoma on Sunday afternoon before concluding their non-conference schedule with a home game against Howard Payne on Wednesday, Dec. 22. UTA opens Sun Belt Conference play Dec. 30 by hosting South Alabama.
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FOLLOW ALONG
For updates, behind-the-scenes photos, videos and more engaging and personal content, be sure to follow the men's basketball program on Twitter (@UTAMavsMBB), Instagram (@UTAMavsMBB) and Facebook (/UTAMavsMBB).
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