ARLINGTON – Riding a five-game winning streak, the UT Arlington men's basketball team wraps up the regular season on Thursday at 7 p.m. inside the College Park Center against California Baptist in a game laced with postseason implications for both clubs.
 

GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Game 31	UT Arlington (17-13, 12-7 WAC) vs. California Baptist (15-14, 8-10 WAC)
Date | Time	Thursday, Mar. 7 | 7 PM CT
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 | California Baptist | WAC
WAC Rankings	Standings | Seeding System
Gameday Program	Digital

GRAD NIGHT FESTIVITIES

• Fans are encouraged to arrive early as prior to the game UTA will recognize its four graduate students: Akili Vining, DaJuan Gordon, Aaron Cash and Shemar Wilson.
• Additionally, Gordon, Cash and Wilson will also each be presented with a 1,000-point ball as the trio reached the milestone mark during the season.

OPENING TIP(s)

• UTA is 8-2 over its last 10 games, with one of those losses in the stretch coming to California Baptist, 64-63, in Riverside on Feb. 8 (more info later in this release). The Mavs' five-game winning streak, while seemingly modest, is actually tied for the 20th-longest in the nation and has moved them into sole possession of 3rd place in the WAC standings at 12-7.
   
• However, in the WAC's resume-seeding system – which determines tournament seeding – UTA is currently the #4 seed with 0.39 points. Seattle U – which is 4th in the conference standings at 11-7 and has lost both games this season to UTA – is currently the #3 seed with 0.69 points. Stephen F. Austin is #5 with -1.82 points.
  • The top-8 teams based off conference record qualify for the WAC Tournament at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas Mar. 13-16; the top-4 seeds receive a bye on Mar. 13.
  • Once those eight teams are determined, the resume-seeding system then designates seeds based off points accumulated throughout the entire season – not just conference play.
  • All points could, and likely will, fluctuate slightly (by a few hundredths) following Thursday's results, but entering action below are the most and fewest points UTA and the teams closest to the Mavs can total:
    • UTA | Most: 0.71; Fewest: -0.29
    • Seattle U | Most: 1.78; Fewest: -0.22
    • Stephen F. Austin | Most: -1.47; Fewest: -3.47
    • Utah Valley | Most: -0.93; Fewest: -2.93
  • Based off those numbers, UTA likely has already solidified a top-4 finish and 1st-round bye in the WAC Tournament, but a win over California Baptist would guarantee it.
  • A UTA win coupled with Seattle U dropping both of its contests at Abilene Christian (Thursday) and Tarleton State (Saturday) this week, and the Mavs will almost certainly earn the #3 seed.
  • Even if SU splits its Texas swing, the Mavs could potentially get the #3 seed, but they need to defeat CBU.
  • Grand Canyon is locked into the #1 seed with 7.99 points, while Tarleton will be the #2 seed (4.55 points).
     
• UTA's two losses in its last 10 games have come by a total of three points: the aforementioned one-point margin at CBU and an 80-78 setback to Tarleton State. In both of those contests UTA had chances to win or force overtime in the final seconds.
   
• This is UTA's first five-game winning streak since Feb. 23-Mar. 16, 2019, with the last victory coming in the Sun Belt Tournament semifinals. The Mavs had a five-game regular-season winning streak earlier that same year, but they have not won six in a row since an eight-game streak Feb. 4-Mar. 2, 2017, en route to a Sun Belt Regular Season Championship with a 14-4 mark. That is also the last time the Mavs won at least 13 league games, something they'll be looking to accomplish with a triumph on Thursday.
   
• Three of UTA's five-lowest turnover games this season have occurred over the past four contests: Feb. 22 vs. Southern Utah (11), Feb. 29 at Seattle U (7) and Mar. 2 at Utah Valley (11); two other times this year the Mavs have had 11 turnovers: Feb. 8 at CBU and Nov. 22 vs. Alcorn State.
   
• DaJuan Gordon leads the WAC in double-doubles with 12; combined with Shemar Wilson's seven (2nd in the WAC), the 19 double-doubles are nearly as many as four WAC teams total (20): Southern Utah (4), Seattle U (5), Stephen F. Austin (5) and Utah Valley (6). As a team, UTA's 21 double-doubles (Aaron Cash has the other two) are eight more than the next closest teams (California Baptist and Grand Canyon: 13).
   
• UTA is the only team in the nation to have three-different players grab 15+ rebounds in a game this season: Gordon (17 at Utah Tech), Cash (17 vs. UNT Dallas) and Wilson (16 at California Baptist). Wilson (13) and Gordon (12) rank 1st and 2nd in the WAC in terms of double-figure rebound games this year; the next closest players have nine.

TWEETABLES
1) With a win Thursday, KT Turner will become the winningest first-year head coach in program history; he is currently tied with Chris Ogden's 17 victories (17-16) in 2018-19.
2) UTA will be looking for its 18th win of the season, which would be its most since going 21-13 in 2017-18; the Mavs reached the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Final that year. All 17 of UTA's wins this year have come when it scores at least 70 points.
3) UTA is currently 11-3 at home, and a 12th victory would be its most since going 13-2 in 2017-18.
4) Gordon secured his 12th double-double of the year with 17 points and 13 rebounds on Saturday at Utah Valley. All 13 rebounds came on the defensive end to tie for the 5th most in single-game program history (record: 14, four times).
5) Additionally, the 13 defensive rebounds without an offensive rebound are tied for the 5th most by any player in the nation this season (most: Siena's Michael Eley with 16 at Manhattan).
 
AMONG THE WAC'S BEST

• In WAC games, UTA is the highest-scoring team in the league at 78.4 per game. Demonstrating their depth, the Mavs do not have a single individual in the top 7 in scoring, and only one (Gordon – 8th, 15.6) is in the top 17.
• The Mavs also rank 2nd in assists (15.3), 3rd in free throw percentage (74.9) and are 4th in field goal percentage (44.9), field goal percentage defense (41.5) and blocks (4.1).
• Individually, Gordon leads all WAC players in league contests with 2.1 steals, and is 2nd in rebounding (8.2) and field goal percentage (51.4). Phillip Russell is 3rd in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9), while Wilson is 4th in blocks (1.7) and 5th in rebounding (7.8).

ABOUT THE MATCHUP

• In the first meeting this year between the two teams, a last-second 3-point attempt by Russell fell short, giving CBU a 64-63 win in a contest which featured nine lead changes, eight ties and neither team leading by more than six. Makaih Williams pulled the Mavs within one with 9.4 seconds remaining, and they then fouled 85% free-throw shooter Brantly Stevenson. Stevenson missed both attempts, and Russell pushed into the frontcourt and pulled up from 3 in front of the UTA bench.
   
• In WAC games, UTA leads the conference in 3-point percentage (37.3) and makes (168). The Mavs' 168 makes in WAC play are 32 more than the next closest (Seattle U: 136) and are 38 more than CBU (130), which rank as the 4th most in the conference. However, in the first matchup, UTA went just 2-12 from 3-point range, while CBU went 5-17. The two makes for the Mavs are tied for a season low (Texas State on Nov. 25), and one of only three games this season they've made fewer than five in a contest.
   
• CBU is the only remaining team in the WAC that UTA has never defeated (2-0 all-time).
   
• While UTA leads the WAC in league games in scoring (78.4), CBU paces the conference in scoring defense (66.7).
   
• The Lancers are currently tied for 7th place in the WAC standings with two games remaining (vs. Grand Canyon on Saturday). To clinch a spot in the tournament, CBU will need to either win one of its two final games or have Utah Tech lose one of its two final games (at UTRGV, at Stephen F. Austin). In the event of a three-way tie between SFA, UTU and CBU, the Lancers would miss the tournament due to head-to-head versus UTU and resume seeding to SFA.
   
• Following the game on Feb. 8 against UTA, CBU sat at 7-4 in the league. However, the Lancers then lost six in a row before stopping the stretch this past Saturday with a dominant 88-52 win at home over UT Rio Grande Valley.
   
• A big reason for the losing streak was due to CBU being without the WAC's 2nd-leading scorer in Dominique Daniels Jr. (19.2). Daniels Jr. has not played since Feb. 3 with an injury; prior to that, the guard had delivered three games of 30+ points this season, including a WAC-most 39 against Southern Utah on Jan. 20.
   
• In his absence over the last seven games, the backcourt duo of Blondeau Tchoukuiegno (16.0) and Scotty Washington (16.5) has combined to average 33.5 points.

WELCOME OFFENSIVE OUTBURSTS
Seventeen 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). Additionally, 11 times this year UTA has registered 80+ points in regulation against D-I competition; that happened just three times total in the previous two regular seasons.
 
In KT Turner's first season, UTA is currently averaging 75.8 points per game, which would be the Mavs' highest since 2017-18 (77.7).
 
The Mavs scored 89+ points in three-straight regulation games versus D-I opponents from Feb. 17-24 for only the third time in program history: Dec. 1-6, 1990, and Feb. 18-23, 1981. From 2018-23, UTA scored 89+ points against D-I competition three times total.
 
GORDON PLAYER OF THE WEEK
For the third time this season, Gordon was named WAC Player of the Week on Feb. 26. The Chicago native is now the first UTA member since Marquez Haynes in 2009-10 to be named conference Player of the Week three times in the same season; Haynes won the award four times that year in the Southland Conference on his way to an All-American Honorable Mention campaign. It is believed that is the single-season program record (weekly award records date to 1994-95).
 
UTA has had three-different players win either WAC Player of the Week or Newcomer of the Week this season: Gordon (Player, Nov. 13, Feb. 19 and Feb. 26), Wilson (Player, Nov. 20) and Russell (Newcomer, Dec. 18 and Feb. 5). The six total selections are the 2nd most in the WAC this year behind Grand Canyon's 13.
 
LUCKY THIRTEEN
All 13 UTA players who dressed – currently the entire healthy roster – scored at least one point on Feb. 17 at UT Rio Grande Valley. No other team in the nation this season has had that many players or the entirety of the roster score in a game against a D-I opponent. Below are those teams that have had 100% of their players in uniform score against a D-I foe:
 
13: UT Arlington @ UTRGV (Feb. 17)
11: Creighton vs. Central Michigan (Dec. 9)
10: Creighton vs. Florida A&M (Nov. 7)
9: Oakland vs. IUPUI (Feb. 17)
7: Charleston Southern vs. USC Upstate (Jan. 13)
 
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), Akili Vining (16), Cash (18), 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, Gordon (6x – 1 tie), Wilson (6x), Williams (5x – 1 tie), Russell (5x), Douglas (3x), Cash (3x), Basili (1x) and Vining (1x) have led UTA in scoring.
 
STARTING LINEUP ROTATIONS
UTA has used 11 different starting lineups this season, which is tied for the 13th most in the nation (leaders: Milwaukee and Eastern Michigan, 18). Nine of those lineups have won a game, which is tied for the 4th most in the country (Long Beach State and Milwaukee, 11).
 
RECORD-TYING 3-POINT PERFORMANCE
Eleven times already this season UTA has made double-figure 3-pointers in a game; the Mavs made double-figure 3s in a game 10 times the last two seasons combined. UTA has reached that threshold three times in the last four games, including consecutively for the first time this year on Feb. 22 (11 vs. Southern Utah) and Feb. 24 (10 vs. Utah Tech).
 
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 UT Rio Grande Valley on Jan. 18.
 
The 15 3-pointers (15-36, 42%) against UTRGV tied for the 5th-most makes all-time and matched the 3rd-most triples in program lore versus a D-I foe.
 
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.
 
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 (six players with 11). 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.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
1) The Mavs held Stephen F. Austin to just 1-15 from 3-point range in a 71-63 overtime triumph on Feb. 10. That was just the second time since 2015 that UTA limited an opponent to one 3-pointer (Coastal Carolina: 1-13 on Mar. 7, 2020).
 
2) Two times this year Wilson and Gordon have both recorded double-doubles in the same game: at New Mexico on Nov. 16 and at Abilene Christian on Jan. 20.
 
4) Gordon had 15 points, 17 rebounds and six assists at Utah Tech on Feb. 3 to become one of only four players in the nation this year against a D-I opponent with at least a 15-17-6 stat line.
 
4) Four of UTA's seven WAC losses have come against the current top-2 teams: Grand Canyon (2x) and Tarleton State (2x). Those four losses came by an average of 4.2 points. The Mavs were tied with GCU both times with under 90 seconds remaining, and had final shots to win – or force overtime – against Tarleton.
 
5) Gordon is one of just five players in the nation 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.
 
8) The Mavs are a perfect 8-0 this season when Talbot makes at least two 3-pointers in a game.
 
12) Williams is one of only 12 true freshmen nationally with at least 330 points and 80 assists this season. He also leads all WAC true freshmen in scoring (11.1).
 
20) UTA has won two road games by 20+ points in the same season (87-66 at Utah Tech on Feb. 3) for the first time since 2019-20; since 2012, the Mavs only have eight such victories (including the two this year).
 
33) On Feb. 24, UTA went 33-40 (82.5%) from the free throw line against Utah Tech, which represented its most makes since hitting 34 against Little Rock on Jan. 19, 2019; prior to that, the Mavs hadn't made 33+ in a game since registering 33 at Houston Christian on Jan. 24, 2012. Additionally, UTA is one of only 13 teams in the nation this year to make at least 33 free throws and connect at better than an 82% rate.
 
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 – have been ranked in the Associated Press and Coaches polls during the season.
 
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.
 
78) UTA lost when scoring 78+ points in regulation at home for only the third time in the last 15 years when the Mavs dropped an 80-78 decision to Tarleton State on Feb. 15; the other two occurrences: 85-78 to FGCU on Dec. 9, 2017, and 92-89 to Louisiana on Feb. 6, 2014.
 
85) 85% of Douglas's points (105 of 123) this year have come via the 3-pointer (34 makes); he has five games of 3+ triples.
 
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 12th-best percentage in the nation this year among teams that have made at least 24 free throws (best: Niagara going 27-27 at Quinnipiac on Feb. 18).
 
700) Gordon eclipsed 500 career rebounds in the season opener, and now boasts 737 for his career.
 
1,000) Gordon reached 1,000 career points on Dec. 6 versus UNT Dallas, Wilson got to 1,000 collegiate points across all levels on Jan. 18 against UTRGV and Cash eclipsed the milestone mark on Feb. 29 at Seattle U.
 
NEXT UP
The WAC Tournament runs from Mar. 13-16 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas; if the Mavs get a 1st-round bye they will begin action on Mar. 14 in the quarterfinals.
   
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).