UTA Loses Home Opener To Buffalo
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ARLINGTON, Texas – UT Arlington dropped to 1-1 on the season after falling 74-68 to Buffalo before 1,544 fans Tuesday night at College Park Center.
The shots that were falling in the first game last week weren’t there for the Mavericks, who lost for only the second time in nine home openers under coach Scott Cross. UTA shot only 38.8 percent from the floor and 46.7 percent at the foul line.
“It was a completely different game from what I saw at Bradley,” Cross said. “It looked like Jekyll and Hyde in terms of the way we played. At Bradley everybody was making everybody better. It seemed here tonight everybody was trying a little too hard to score a basket or make a play, and we never got in a rhythm offensively.”
The Mavericks had their 3-point stroke going at Bradley, knocking down 12 of 20 from deep in the 86-75 road win. That consistency wasn’t there against the Bulls, as UTA missed 22 of 31 from beyond the arc.
Buffalo guard Shannon Evans led all scorers with 24 points, as the Bulls had four score in double figures. UTA’s leading scorers were off the bench. Freshman guard Erick Neal scored 15 on five 3-pointers, senior guard
Lonnie McClanahan had 12 points and senior guard Johnny Hill had 11.
The Mavericks were down just four at the half before falling behind as much as 15 after intermission. UTA tried to mount a rally late, pulling within 67-60 with two minutes left, but Buffalo held on to improve to 2-1.
“We’ve got to put a better emphasis on guarding the ball and helping off the ball,” McClanahan said.
The Mavericks were playing catch up for much of the first half after falling behind 8-0. UTA need more than four minutes to score before guard Drew Charles drilled a 3-pointer.
Freshman guard Kaelon Wilson’s three-point play pulled the Mavs within one point before Kevin Hervey’s put back gave UT Arlington a 13-12 lead. The Bulls would take a 24-17 lead before another UTA spurt.
McClanahan helped fuel an 8-0 run that ended with a 3-pointer from Neal for a 25-24 edge. Buffalo would regroup and take a 35-31 lead into halftime.
Neither team shot it well in the first half. The Mavericks were at 35.5 percent (11-31), while the Bulls were 33.3 percent (10-13). UTA attempted 12 3-pointers by the break and made five.
“I don’t think we were aggressive enough in the first half,” Charles said.
Will Regan and Evans scored 10 points apiece for Buffalo. Neal had six points, with Charles, Hill and McClanahan each scoring five. The Bulls had a 26-17 edge in rebounds.
The Mavericks return to action Thursday night at Grand Canyon in Phoenix. The next CPC game is Homecoming on Saturday against Houston Baptist at 7:30 p.m.
