UTA Upsets Ohio State
COLUMBUS, Ohio – UT Arlington men’s basketball claimed arguably the biggest victory in program history by upsetting Ohio State 73-68 on the road Friday night at Value City Arena.
The Mavericks improved to 2-1 with their first-ever win over a squad from the Big Ten. UTA was previously 0-8 against the Big Ten and 0-2 against Ohio State.
Sophomore forward Kevin Hervey battled through foul trouble to lead the Mavs with 18 points in 26 minutes and hauled in seven rebounds. Sophomore guard Erick Neal added 17 points and three assists, while junior forward Faith Pope scored 11 off the bench.
The contributions hardly ended there for a UTA team determined to compete with the Buckeyes. UT Arlington coach Scott Cross told the Mavericks in the locker room before the game that beating Ohio State was doable by hitting the boards, staying focused defensively and taking care of the basketball.
The Mavs were able to do just that. UTA out-rebounded the bigger Buckeyes 46-37 and outscored them 34-22 in the paint. The Mavs scored the first five points of the second half to take the lead and never looked back. The lead reached nine points on several occasions and UTA held on to the momentum.
The Mavericks also hit their free throws down the stretch, thwarting a potential OSU
comeback. UTA knocked down 19 of 22 from the line, with Hervey and Neal each going 7-8.
The Mavericks opened the game strong and attacked the basket, remaining disciplined and under control throughout the first half. UTA held an 11-7 advantage before the Buckeyes went on a 3-point barrage to inch ahead.
The game remained close and Pope gave the Mavs their last lead of the first half (24-23) on a 3-pointer. Ohio State went into the locker room up 34-32.
UT Arlington was shooting only 38.9 percent (14-36) in the first half and 1-9 on 3-pointers, but stayed in the game by winning the rebound battle (23-18) and holding the Buckeyes to 42.9 percent (12-28) from the floor. The Mavericks also held a 26-8 edge in points inside.
UTA would make 5-14 from beyond the arc in the second half. Junior guard Drew Charles had a team-high nine rebounds and junior forward Jorge Bilbao had a eight boards.
After the Buckeyes cut the lead to 50-46, a person foul on Hervey and a technical foul by OSU proved costly. Hervey would knock down four free throws at the 9:05 mark of the second half to go up 54-46. Jalen Jones knocked down a 3-pointer soon after to make it 57-48.
UTA held advantages in points off turnovers (19-8) and second-chance points (15-7). The Mavs also had a six-point edge in made free throws (19-13) despite the Buckeyes going to the line more (27-22).
The Mavericks complete a three-game road stretch Monday night at Memphis. Tip is 7:30 p.m. on ESPNews and KKGM 1630 AM.
