STEPHENVILLE, Texas – UT Arlington men's basketball dropped its Western Athletic Conference opener, 77-74 at Tarleton State on Saturday night in Stephenville from Wisdom Gym.
 
The Mavs came out strong, opening the game on an 8-0 run, fueled by five quick points by guard Jaden Wells, who finished well off a backdoor cut and then connected on a deep three.
 
"They gave us opportunities to win the game and we just didn't take it," head coach KT Turner said following the loss. "There were a couple loose balls we could have jumped on the floor and got, but instead we tried to dribble it and they come up with it. I think we had a six-point lead and we just didn't guard at the end of the game. We just got drove by a couple of times – we knew what was coming and just couldn't guard."
 
Fellow guard Brody Robinson scored 13 of his 21 points in the opening half, hitting all three of his three-point attempts and all four of his free throws to keep the Mavericks in it.
 
In a half of runs, the Texans used a 15-4 spurt of their own to seize a 27-22 lead and took a six-point lead into the locker room at halftime. UTA turned the ball over on 14 occasions in the first half, leading to 12 Tarleton State points.
 
UTA fell behind by 10 early in the second half but mounted another run of its own to take a 51-48 lead behind four straight Lance Ware free throws. Ware, last week's WAC Player and Newcomer of the Week, finished with 10 points, five rebounds, two blocks and two assists.
 
Tarleton State fought back again, tying things at 60-60. But again it was the Mavs who punched back stretching its lead back to 69-62 after a flurry from Wells, who scored 10 of his 15 points in the second half. The Mavs could not, however, hold on to that lead. With 3:22 to play, forward Diante Smith knocked down a pair of free throws to give the Mavericks a 71-65 advantage. The Texans outscored UTA 12-3 down the stretch to close out the game, thanks to six late points by Dantwan Grimes.
 
The Mavs look to bounce back when they travel to St. George, Utah, to take on Utah Tech, on Thursday, Jan. 9. That game tips off at 8 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on ESPN+, and on the radio on the Varsity App, 102.5 FM and KTNO 620 AM with the Voice of the Mavs, Josh Sours.