ARLINGTON – Following a disappointing one-point loss at California Baptist on Thursday night, the UT Arlington men's basketball team faces a tough turnaround as the Mavericks head back to Texas on Friday and look to rebound when they host Stephen F. Austin on Saturday, Feb. 10, at 2 p.m. inside the College Park Center.
 

GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Game 24	UT Arlington (11-12, 6-6 WAC) vs. Stephen F. Austin (14-9, 7-5 WAC)
Date | Time	Saturday, Feb. 10 | 2 PM (Doors: 1 PM)
Location	College Park Center
Tickets	UTATickets.com
Video	ESPN+
Radio	620 AM | 102.5 FM
Audio Stream	Varsity Network App | UTAMavs.com
Live Stats	StatBroadcast
Game Notes	UT Arlington | Stephen F. Austin
WAC Rankings	Standings | Seeding System
Gameday Program	Digital

For parking, tickets, entry and more info related to the 2023-24 gameday experience, visit the Know Before You Go page.

GAMEDAY PROMOTIONS & INFO

• City of Arlington Day
  • All Arlington residents receive free ticket(s) by visiting the Box Office on Saturday and presenting valid ID.
  • UTA will wear unique 'Dream City' shooting shirts.
     
• Postgame Autographs
  • Following the game, members of the team will partake in an autograph signing, with specially designed posters and sharpies provided.

OPENING TIP(s)

• In the first matchup with SFA this year, the Lumberjacks claimed a 92-73 win on Jan. 6, but UTA was without two of its top-3 leading scorers in Phillip Russell (14.7) and DaJuan Gordon (11.8) due to injuries.
   
• Gordon is arguably the hottest player in the WAC as he has recorded five-straight double-doubles, the latest of which was a 13-point, 11-rebound performance at California Baptist on Thursday. The grad transfer boasts a league-leading nine double-doubles this year. Shemar Wilson has seven double-doubles this year to rank as the 2nd most in the WAC – two more than anyone else.
   
• Wilson and Gordon's 16 combined double-doubles are more than four WAC teams total: Southern Utah (3), Utah Valley (4), Stephen F. Austin (4) and Seattle U (4). As a team, UTA's 17 double-doubles (Aaron Cash has the other) are seven more than the next closest (California Baptist, Grand Canyon: 10).
   
• Russell was named WAC Newcomer of the Week on Monday for the second time since getting eligible on Dec. 15. However, on Thursday at CBU he was limited to just seven points – only the fourth time in his last 45 games he's been held to single digits. Russell had a chance to win the game, but with the Mavs trailing by one point, 64-63, pulled up for 3 with three seconds remaining and his effort fell short. The game featured nine lead changes, eight ties and neither team led by more than six.
   
• Wilson grabbed a career-high-tying 16 rebounds against CBU, becoming the third-different UTA player this year to secure 15+ rebounds in a game this season. UTA is the only team in the nation to have that honor as Gordon had 17 at Utah Tech and Cash notched 17 versus UNT Dallas. Gordon also had 15 versus Air Force as the Mavs have the WAC's four-highest individual rebounding performances this year.
   
• UTA has held four-straight opponents under 70 points, highlighted by a season-low 64 allowed to CBU. Only two times all season prior to this current streak had UTA limited D-I foes under 70: 69 both by Alcorn State and Utah Valley.

TWEETABLES
1) All 11 of UTA's wins this season have come when the Mavs score at least 70 points. Additionally, seven times this year they have registered 80+ points in regulation against D-I competition; that happened just three times total in the previous two regular seasons.
2) UTA tied a season best with only 11 turnovers at California Baptist. The Mavs also had 44 paint points against the Lancers, the 2nd most this year (48 at New Mexico). However, UTA equaled a season worst with only two made 3-pointers (Texas State).
3) UTA has used 10 different starting lineups this season, which is tied for the 13th most in the nation (leader: Eastern Michigan, 16). Eight of those lineups have won a game, which is tied for the 3rd most in the country (Long Beach State: 10).
4) UTA played the nation's 11th-hardest non-conference schedule, facing five NET Quad 1 opponents away from home. The other 10 WAC teams combined only faced 20 total Quad 1 foes this season.
 
AMONG THE WAC'S BEST

• In conference games, UTA leads the WAC in assists (14.8), ranks 2nd in field goal percentage defense (40.2) and 3rd in points (76.0). While the UTA offense ranks 3rd in the league, the Mavs don't have a single player in the top 12 in scoring average.
• UTA has three players in the top 10 for assists; no other WAC team even has two: Makaih Williams (6th, 3.3), Russell (7th, 3.1) and Akili Vining (T-9th, 3.0).
• Russell ranks 2nd in 3-point shooting (39.1%), Wilson is 3rd in blocks (2.1), Vining is 3rd in assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.8) and Gordon is tied for 7th in steals (1.6).

ABOUT THE MATCHUP

• UTA ranks the aforementioned 3rd in the WAC in conference games in scoring (76.0), and SFA is 2nd (77.3). Additionally, while the Mavs have the league's 2nd-best field goal percentage defense, the Lumberjacks lead the conference in field goal shooting at 45.5.
• Additionally, UTA paces the WAC in league contests in 3-point percentage (36.0) and 3-pointers made (8.6/game). SFA allows opponents to shoot 38.1% from 3-point range, which is the worst in the WAC.
• The Mavs' 103 triples in WAC play are 20 more than any other team (Seattle U: 83), but they do not have a single player in the top 10 in terms of makes (seven players between 7-18 made 3s).
• In the matchup in Nacogdoches last month, the Mavs only trailed by four points with 80 seconds remaining in the 1st half. However, a quick 6-0 stretch by SFA to end the frame coupled with a 13-0 run early in the 2nd half put the contest out of reach for UTA.
• SFA ranks 4th in the nation in most turnovers forced (17.6), are 6th in bench points (34.2) and 19th in free throws made (17.5).
• The Lumberjacks have lost two of their top-4 leading scorers for the year in the past few weeks as both Sadaidriene Hall (2nd, 10.7) and AJ Cajuste (4th, 8.6) suffered season-ending injuries. Latrell Joseph (11.7) leads SFA in scoring for the year.

HOME SWEET HOME
UTA is 8-2 at the College Park Center, but just 2-10 on the road (1-0 neutral). At home this season, UTA is averaging 79.3 points while holding opponents to 66.9 for a +12.4 differential. On the road, the Mavs average 68.9 points and surrender 78.3 for a -9.3 margin.

Additionally, in home tilts UTA secures 41.2 rebounds per contest and out-rebounds its foes by an average of 10.2; on the road they corral 36.4 and are out-rebounded by an average of 1.8. Nine of UTA's 11 wins this year have come when it out-rebounds its opponent; the Mavs are 2-6 when losing or tying the rebound battle.

A large portion of those home/away statistical disparities is a result of the competition level as UTA played the nation's 11th-hardest non-conference schedule. The Mavs faced five NET Quad 1 opponents, all of them away from home. The other 10 WAC teams combined only faced 20 total Quad 1 foes this season.
 
SCORING DEPTH
The Mavs have already had 11 players reach double-figure points in a game this year (highs): Wilson (29), Russell (28), Gordon (24), Williams (24), Kade Douglas (20), Vining (16), Cash (17, 2x), Fabio Basili (15), Brandyn Talbot (14), Dwayne Koroma (12) and Freds Pauls Bagatskis (11).
 
Those 11 different double-figure scorers are tied for the 2nd most in the nation (leader: Texas State, 12).
 
Of those 11, Wilson (5x), Russell (4x), Gordon (4x – 1 tie), Douglas (4x), Williams (3x – 1 tie), Cash (2x), Basili (1x) and Vining (1x) have led UTA in scoring.
 
CLEANING UP THE WEEKLY AWARDS
UTA has had three-different players win either WAC Player of the Week or Newcomer of the Week this season: Gordon (Player, Nov. 13), Wilson (Player, Nov. 20) and Russell (Newcomer, Dec. 18 and Feb. 5). UTA and Grand Canyon are the only schools in the WAC with three-different players earning weekly awards this year.
 
Gordon and Wilson became the first set of UTA teammates to be named conference Player of the Week in the same season since 2017-18 when Kevin Hervey and Erick Neal both received the recognition when the Mavs were in the Sun Belt Conference.
 
PROLIFIC OFF THE BENCH
Gordon is one of just five players this year versus a D-I opponent to come off the bench and record at least 15 points and 15 rebounds in a game when he accomplished that feat against Air Force on Dec. 16.
 
HISTORICAL PERFORMANCES
In its 74-37 win over UNT Dallas on Dec. 6, the Mavs had 26 offensive rebounds to tie for the 6th most in single-game program history and most in any game since 1996. Of those 26 o-boards, 25 were secured by players (one team rebound) to tie for the 9th-most offensive rebounds by any team in the nation this year.
 
Individually, Cash – who had 17 points and 17 rebounds – was responsible for 12 offensive rebounds to tie for the most in program lore with Johnny McDowell (1992) and Sam Norton (1984). Those dozen o-boards are also the most by any player in the nation this year (five players with 11; 11 with 10). The 17 total rebounds are tied for the most by any player in the WAC this season along with teammate Gordon.
 
Defensively, the 37 points UTA allowed were its 2nd fewest all-time behind only a 36-point performance against SMU in 1989 – a game the Mavs actually lost, 36-31. Those are the only two times in the 64+ years of the program UTA has held a team under 40 points.
 
RECORD-TYING 3-POINT PERFORMANCE
UTA tied a single-game program record with 17 made 3-pointers on Nov. 11 against UT Tyler. That mark had only been reached once previously – on Dec. 8, 2015, against Bradley. Those 17 triples are two more than any other WAC team this year; CBU had 15 at Stephen F. Austin on Jan. 27, and the Mavs also had 15 versus UTRGV on Jan. 18.
 
LONG-RANGE THREAT SIDELINED
In that UT Tyler contest, Bagatskis knocked down three 3-pointers and scored 11-straight points for UTA in the 1st half. However, the Georgia Tech transfer has not played in a game since then after suffering a left ankle injury in practice the week of Nov. 13 and undergoing surgery in mid-December. He is expected to be out the rest of the season.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
2) Two times this year Wilson and Gordon have both recorded double-doubles in the same game: at New Mexico and Jan. 20 at Abilene Christian.
 
3) Gordon had 15 points, 17 rebounds and six assists at Utah Tech on Feb. 3 to become one of only three players in the nation this year with at least a 15-17-6 stat line.
 
7) UTA is a perfect 7-0 this season when Talbot makes at least two 3-pointers in a game.
 
11) 11 times already this season UTA has scored 75+ points against D-I competition; the Mavs accomplished that feat just four times all of last year (regular and postseason). Furthermore, UTA has tallied 80+ in regulation seven times this year; that occurred three times total in the previous two regular seasons.
 
15) UTA knocked down 15 3-pointers (15-36, 42%) against UTRGV on Jan. 18 to tie for the 5th-most makes all-time and match the 3rd-most triples in program lore versus a D-I foe.
 
36) UTA had a stretch of 36 days in-between home contests from Dec. 6 to Jan. 11. That was the second-longest break in-season by any team in the nation this year, trailing only Delaware's 38-day gap.
 
46) The Mavs shot 46% from the field and finished +9 in the rebounding column (45-36) at New Mexico, representing their only non-conference loss since 2010 when shooting at least 46% and posting at least +9 on the glass. The Lobos – who used a buzzer-beating layup to beat the Mavs, 82-80 – are now ranked in the Associated Press and Coaches polls at #25.
 
57) Opposite Abilene Christian on Nov. 29, UTA shot a season-best 57% (27-47) from the floor – the best any Maverick team has shot against a D-I opponent since 2018.
 
85) 85% of Douglas's points (102 of 120) this year have come via the 3-pointer (34 makes); he has five games of 3+ triples.
 
89) Cash needs 85 points to reach 1,000 for his entire collegiate career across all levels.
 
90) UTA went 24-25 (96%) from the free throw line on Jan. 18 against UTRGV. That is the 2nd-best percentage (minimum 20 makes) in single-game program history, bested only by a 96.4% (27-28) showing on Feb. 22, 1968, at then-#1 Houston. It is also the 5th-best percentage in the nation this year among teams that have made at least 24 free throws (best: UNC Asheville going 24-24 versus USC Upstate).
 
600) Gordon eclipsed 500 career rebounds in the season opener, and now boasts 679 for his career.
 
1,000) Shemar Wilson reached 1,000 collegiate points with a free throw in the UTRGV contest with just over a minute remaining. He had 375 points in one junior college season and now 600+ in 2+ years with UTA.
 
NEXT UP
UTA will remain at home when it welcomes Tarleton State to the CPC next Thursday, Feb. 15, for a 7 p.m. tipoff. The Texans currently reside in 2nd place in the WAC with a 9-3 record and an overall mark of 15-7.
 
In the first matchup this year, UTA used a 10-0 run to tie the contest with under a minute remaining, but a 3-pointer by the Texans with 24 seconds remaining proved to be the difference in a 78-76 Maverick loss on Jan. 4 in Stephenville.
   
PURCHASE TICKETS
Secure your seat(s) 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
For updates, behind-the-scenes photos, videos and more engaging and personal content, follow the men's basketball program on X (formerly Twitter) (@UTAMavsMBB), Instagram (@UTAMavsMBB) and Facebook (/UTAMavsMBB).