UTA Wins In Houston
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HOUSTON, Texas — Senior forward Brandon Edwards scored a career-high 31 and UT Arlington picked up its first road victory of the season by rallying past Houston Baptist 80-70 Saturday night at Sharp Gym.
The Mavericks improved to 4-6 with their second consecutive win and 1-5 away from home. UT Arlington also extended its winning streak against HBU (3-7) to 14 straight, and leads the all-time series 19-6.
The Mavericks trailed by as many as eight points in the second half before storming back. Edwards racked up 22 points after the break, including a monster follow dunk in the last two minutes to seal the win. UTA shot 50 percent over the final 20 minutes.
“The first half was a disaster, but I’m glad the guys got it together and just very happy we got the win,” UT Arlington coach Scott Cross said.
The Mavericks backcourt of senior Reger Dowell and junior Lonnie McClanahan combined for 40 points. McClanahan had season highs in points (22) and rebounds (12). Senior guard Shaquille White-Miller had a game-high six assists off the bench.
UTA enjoyed advantages in points in the paint (28-18), points off turnovers (14-2) and
second-chance points (19-4). The Mavericks were outrebounded 38-34, but held a 21-13 edge on the boards in the second half.
HBU came out on fire, putting the Mavericks in a hole early. The Huskies hit their first seven shots and took a 17-11 lead in the game’s first six minutes.
UTA trailed by as many as eight points before an 11-3 run, capped by McClanahan’s driving layup, tied the game at 22. The Mavericks couldn’t inch ahead and went into the locker room trailing 33-30.
Dowell had 10 points in the first half, but was only 3-9 from the floor. Edwards added nine points. The Mavericks shot just 32 percent (8-25) in opening half.
The Huskies opened up a 46-38 edge four minutes into the second half. A dunk from Edwards ignited an 8-0 spurt that pulled the Mavericks even. Dowell’s 3-pointer gave UTA its first lead (51-49) since the game’s opening minute.
UT Arlington, which had been off since beating Dallas Baptist on Dec. 3, is back on the road Tuesday night at Oklahoma.
