UTA Loses At Arkansas State

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JONESBORO, Arkansas – A flurry of 3-pointers from Arkansas State were too much for UT Arlington to overcome in Thursday night’s 83-60 loss at the Convocation Center.

The Mavericks dropped to 11-14 overall and 6-7 in the Sun Belt Conference. Arkansas State (15-9, 8-5) moved two games ahead of UTA in the league standings. UT Arlington could make a move up SBC leaderboard Saturday at UALR, which is 7-7 in conference.

The Mavericks found themselves in an uphill battle against the Red Wolves, who swept the two-game season series and snapped UTA’s two-game winning streak. A-State hit 16 of 30 3-pointers, with Kirk Van Slyke (23 points) and Cameron Golden (14 points) combining for 11 makes beyond the arc.

“They had guys that took it upon themselves to step up and accept the challenge,” UT Arlington coach Scott Cross said. “We wanted to do the same thing, but we didn’t.”

While the Red Wolves shot better than 50 percent from the floor, and 3-point territory, UTA wasn’t nearly as efficient at the offensive end. The Mavericks knocked down just 40.4 percent (23-57), including just 4-19 from deep.

Senior forward Brandon Edwards led the Mavericks with 14 points and seven rebounds. Junior guards Jamel Outler and Lonnie McClanahan each scored 10. Senior guard Shaquille White-Miller returned after missing the previous two games with an injury to play 15 minutes.

The Red Wolves were hot from long range in opening up a

10-point lead (16-6) early and dominated throughout the first half. The Red Wolves nailed seven 3-pointers in the first 12 minutes to take a 27-14 lead.

Van Slyke was particularly dangerous with 20 points by halftime. The 6-10 forward drilled 6-7 3-pointers in 19 minutes. The Red Wolves shot 50 percent (13-26) in the opening half.

The Mavericks, down by as many of 18, made a push late in the half. UT Arlington finished with an 8-2 run to trail 42-30 at the break. Edwards, McClanahan and junior forward Anthony Walker each had six points.

UT Arlington had a few surges in the second half, getting within 11 points on occasion. The Red Wolves always had an answer, usually from downtown. A-State extended its lead past 20 points late in the game and cruised to the win.

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