ARLINGTON – The UT Arlington men's basketball team raced out to a 9-0 start on Saturday afternoon against rival Texas State, but a game-changing run in response by the Bobcats – combined with a stout defensive effort – resulted in a 73-66 loss for the Mavericks inside the College Park Center.
 
In just the second non-conference regular-season matchup between the two former Southland Conference, Sun Belt Conference and Western Athletic Conference foes, the Mavs jumped out to the aforementioned 9-0 beginning, prompting a timeout from Texas State just 2:30 into the contest.
 
UTA still maintained a 15-8 lead at the 12:30 mark, but over the next 7+ minutes the Bobcats held the Mavs without a field goal during a game-altering 22-1 run which took them from down seven to up 14, 30-16. From there the Mavs would get no closer than three the rest of the game – which they did on four occasions – as Texas State held UTA's to its lowest-scoring output of the season at home.
 
Reigning WAC Player of the Week Shemar Wilson delivered his second double-double of this week with game highs of 21 points and 13 rebounds three days after a 14-point, 12-rebound effort over Alcorn State on Wednesday.
 
True freshman Makaih Williams notched a season-best 14 points, and Akili Vining tied a season high with 14 points as those two finished as UTA's only other double-figure scorers. Williams also tied a career most with six assists and registered a team- and career-best three steals.
 

BOX SCORE NUGGETS

• The loss drops UTA to 3-3 on the year, while Texas State improves to 3-4.
• Brandyn Talbot just missed double figures with nine points. Dwayne Koroma posted seven points, three rebounds and two assists.
• Wilson made a career-high 10 free throws as part of a 10-14 effort from the charity stripe. Williams also went 10-14 from the free throw line.
• DaJuan Gordon did not score, but pulled down eight rebounds before fouling out. He is just the fifth-different UTA player since 2010 to secure 8+ rebounds in a game and not score (Montez Young Jr., Jabari Narcis, Kevin Hervey and Stuart Lagerson).
• The Mavs went just 2-15 (13%) from the 3-point line. It's just the second time since 2019 that UTA has made two or fewer 3-pointers at home (two versus Stephen F. Austin on Dec. 31, 2022).
• UTA utilized its third-different starting lineup in the last three games: Williams, Talbot, Vining, Koroma and Wilson.
• The 27 1st-half points for UTA were its fewest in an opening stanza this year (previously: 31 versus Oral Roberts).
• Texas State's Jordan Mason matched Wilson's 21 points for the game lead. Brandon Love added 15 and Kaden Gumbs netted 11 for the Bobcats. Love grabbed 10 rebounds to complete his double-double.
• Texas State shot 46% (25-55) from the floor, including a 50% clip in the 2nd half (12-24). UTA finished at 43% (19-44) for the game.
• The Mavs took 36 free throws and made 26 (72%) to represent season highs in both categories.

QUOTABLE
"I'm disappointed. We didn't fight like we have most of the year so far. We came out with good energy with our starting five, but then we had a letdown when we went to the bench (UTA was outscored off the bench, 31-1). But take nothing away from Texas State; they came in and played a hell of a game, were tough, battled together and you could tell they wanted to the win the game."
– UTA Head Coach KT Turner
 

GAME FLOW
Wilson started the day with his own personal 7-0 run as part of the aforementioned 9-0 acceleration out of the gate by the Mavs. However, from there the Bobcats settled down and began locking in on the defensive end and letting that fuel their offense.
 
The Mavs finally put an end to the 22-1 Texas State run with a 5-0 spurt in less than a minute, and closed the stanza on an extended 11-2 run to only trail by five, 32-27, at intermission after being down by 14 with five minutes remaining.
 
UTA was unable to carry over the 1st-half finish to commence the 2nd half, however, as Texas State methodically re-built a double-figure edge, 42-31, five minutes into the period.
 
But – like they did in the opening frame after the Bobcats created a double-figure cushion – the Mavs had a response and countered with an 8-0 run over 3+ minutes to make it a one-possession margin, 42-39, with just under 12 minutes to play.
 
In sticking with the theme of the game, the Bobcats answered UTA's push and forged back in front by 10, 51-41, before the Mavs responded and crawled back within three on three more occasions, the last of which was 60-57 inside of four minutes.
 
But the Bobcats used a 6-0 stretch over the next few minutes to ice the contest and secure their sixth win in the last seven opportunities against UTA.
 
THIS AND THAT

• For the fourth-straight game, UTA was without the services of Freds Pauls Bagatskis, who is dealing with an ankle injury. The Georgia Tech transfer scored 11-straight points for the Mavs on the strength of a trio of 3-pointers in his last action Nov. 11.
• This was the 80th all-time meeting between UTA and Texas State, which marks the most-played opponent in Maverick history (McNeese: 79). The Mavs now lead the series, 41-39.
• The two foes were both Southland Conference members in the 1980s (first-ever meeting was on Dec. 6, 1984) before moving to the Western Athletic Conference for the 2012-13 season and the Sun Belt Conference from 2013-22. The Bobcats remain in the Sun Belt; the Mavs re-joined the WAC last year.
• Texas State ranked in the top-50 nationally in fewest points allowed for eight-straight years until last season.
• This was the first time UTA has been held below 75 points at home this season.

NEXT UP
UTA will conclude its three-game homestand on Wednesday, Nov. 29, at 7 p.m. against Abilene Christian. It will represent the first to two WAC games next week for the Mavs. With the league going to a 20-game conference slate this season, every team will play two WAC opponents next week before resuming non-conference play in early December.
 
ACU began the year by going to Stillwater and knocking off Oklahoma State in the season opener on Nov. 6.  
PURCHASE TICKETS
Secure your seat all season long to see the re-energized UTA men's basketball program in action at the College Park Center. Purchase single game or season tickets at UTATickets.com, call 817-272-9595 or email boxoffice@uta.edu.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
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