ARLINGTON, Texas – UT Arlington men's basketball (10-11, 3-4 WAC) picked up its third consecutive win Thursday night, knocking off Southern Utah (9-12, 1-6 WAC) at the College Park Center. Guard Brody Robinson finished on a driving layup with 8.6 seconds left to lead the Mavs past the Thunderbirds. The Houston native had 20 points, 10 assists and five rebounds, while forward/center Lance Ware tied a career-high with 26 points, added six rebounds, a pair of assists and two steals in the win.

"We got off to a slow start that we didn't want to get off to," head coach KT Turner said following the game. "Then I felt like we finally started playing. They did a good job punching, they came out fighting and they didn't go away. There was a time or two that we could have opened the lead up and we didn't. So, I tip my hat to them, they came in and played hard. They had injuries and things like that, but I feel like we're getting comfortable late in games now because we're having so many, and we're getting used to it. That experience is helping us for sure."
 
It was a slow start for both teams, but it was UTA who eventually built a double-digit lead at the break. Ware scored 15 of his 26 points and three boards in the opening half to help propel the Mavs to their halftime advantage. Robinson also added nine of his 20 points on 4-of-6 shooting in the first frame to go along with five assists, including a pair of late plays to set up Ware for dunks in the final minute of play.
 
Southern Utah came out hot in the second half, cutting an 11-point deficit away and eventually taking the lead at 50-49 behind a stretch where the Thunderbirds hit nine consecutive shots and saw the Mavs go scoreless for four minutes.
 
A see-saw battle continued into the final 10 minutes as the teams traded buckets. With 3:15 to play, Ware finished through contact to break a tie and give UTA a 63-61 advantage, but SUU's Jamir Simpson, who finished with a team-high 20, scored in the paint on the ensuing possession to tie things back up.
 
Robinson then hit a big three to make it 66-63, but Jeffrey Langston Jr. connected on his first three-pointer of the season moments later to tie it up yet again at 66 apiece. UTA got a stop and then the teams traded free throws leaving things tied at 68-68 with 35.3 seconds to play.
 
That's when Robinson drove and finished to give UTA the 70-68 lead with just 8.6 seconds to go. The Mavs then got a stop, and won their second straight game that was decided by one possession.
 
UTA is now set to host Utah Tech (6-15, 2-4 WAC) on Saturday, Feb. 1, at the College Park Center with a 2 p.m. tip. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and on the radio on the Varsity app, as well as 102.5 FM and KTNO 620 AM with the Voice of the Mavs, Josh Sours. Utah Tech fell 61-54 at Tarleton State on Thursday night and UTA looks to avenge a 74-62 loss to the Trailblazers back on Jan. 9 in St. George, Utah.


   
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