JACKSONVILLE, Florida – UT Arlington men's basketball dropped its first of three games down in Jacksonville, 79-66, to Murray State, despite a 26-point, nine-rebound effort from Lance Ware, who made his UTA debut.
 
"We've got to come out and have better starts," head coach KT Turner said following Tuesday night's game. "We keep doing that repeatedly. We fought our way back, which is really positive, but if we don't dig ourselves that hole, it helps us a lot. I really like the direction we're headed. I know we're trending up. I don't know when it's going to be, but we'll start winning games, but we're fighting and trying to get better. This team is still jelling with each other and learning to play together. We just have to be patient, because it's going to come together for sure."
 
The Mavs trailed by as many as 20 points in the first half but closed the period by cutting into the Racers' lead at 44-30. Ware scored 10 of his 26 in the opening half, while Murray State shot 55.2% from the field, including 6-of-12 from downtown.
 
UTA came out of the break on a quick 6-0 run to cut the lead to 44-36, with Ware as a focal point. He scored on a putback, then on the defensive end had one of his three blocks on the night and assisted on a Raysean Seamster two-handed slam.
 
Graduate transfer guard Darius Burford made his second start of the season and finished with 10 points and nine rebounds, while Seamster added 11 and four rebounds. Ware was 9-of-15 from the field and 8-of-8 from the charity stripe in his Maverick debut.
 
UTA kept charging back midway through the second half when Seamster found a cutting Jaxon Ellingsworth for an uncontested dunk to pull within five, and a pair of Ware free throws cut things to 53-50.
 
But the Mavs would get no closer, and eventually fell 79-66. UTA takes on Austin Peay (4-2) on Wednesday at 4 p.m. in the Mavs' first official game of the Jacksonville Classic. Austin Peay opened their tournament with a 52-43 win against Georgia State on Tuesday. The game will be broadcast live on BallerTV, as well as on the radio on the Varsity App, locally on 102.5 FM and KTNO 620 AM with the Voice of the Mavericks, Josh Sours.
 
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