We’re back! Welcome to the RustyMaverick.com – 2016/2017 edition.
This season started with a great game at home.
Texas Southern, a team many are predicting to win the SWAC, gave UTA a good challenge but just couldn’t keep up with UTA’s uptempo offense in the first game of the season before a lower-bowl filling Homecoming crowd of 4,532, the ninth largest basketball crowd in College Park Center history.
Much has been written of UTA’s Continue reading
The Mavs (11-2) have been nearly unbeatable all year, undefeated at home…so give Georgia Southern’s young team credit (11-of-12 scholarship student-athletes who are freshmen, redshirt freshmen or sophomores), for doing their best to pull off a road upset. The Eagles (4-8) played an impressive first half, making 7 of their first 8 three point attempts and holding a 25-14 lead at one point.
The story of the Mavs’ dream season has been well documented in the local and nation media…9 wins in 11 non-conference games thus far, victories against Ohio State, Memphis, UTEP, Rice and the OT defeat in Austin. Blowout wins over North Texas, Bradley, Grambling State. Kevin Hervey and Eric Neal averaging 17 points per game and 13 points per game respectively. A roster that is super-deep. Various rankings this season generally in the top 40 nationally. The Mavs lead the nation in rebounding at 44+ a game. Passing and assists that are becoming almost legendary, like something out of a video game.
– insert record needle scratch effect here –
UTA 90, North Texas 67
Offensively, that was probably one our better games next to Rice, especially in that second half. [Hervey and Neal] in that second half were both awesome. They played the way I needed them to play. Both these guys are facilitators. They’re as good shooters as anybody, but they also make other guys better and they did that time and time again in the second half.
— UTA Coach Scott Cross
Louisiana-Monroe 76,
UTA 73 (OT)
Going into tuesday night’s game, it looked like a classic basketball matchup: the super-quick guards of UTA vs. a tall and athletic ULM front line. Which would prevail: speed or size?
For the first half, UTA (8-6, 2-2) played nearly perfect defense and drove to the paint at will, finding open gaps around the basket for easy layups. UTA lead by 10 24-14 at one point, and by halftime, ULM (8-5, 2-1) was only shooting 26%, making only 18% of their threes (3-16). A cool Erick Neal underhand layup at the buzzer put the Mavs up 28-20 after 20:00, and it looked like the Mavs were on their way to a big win at home. Continue reading
Happy New Year! Welcome to 2015, where the Mavs have won 5 in a row, are now 2-0 in conference and 8-4 overall. And with 5 of the first 7 conference games being played at College Park Center, the Mavs have a chance to add a few more wins to that total by the time we get about halfway through conference play.
A big key has been getting off to fast starts in front of the home crowd, then holding on in the second half. But the best part might be is than an offense really shooting the ball well from outside (the Mavs lead the conference in 3 pt. percentage at .374) is also scoring lots of points in the paint too.
Continue reading
UTA 73, South Alabama 65
The thing I love about college basketball is how some teams come into a game with a better record than the team would indicate by the way they play, but tonight a pretty solid South Alabama team came into College Park Center. Hard to believe they’ve only won 7 games this year. But the Mavs were ready with a good defensive effort, taking care of the ball and some good shooting. Continue reading
Sorry about the late post…didn’t feel like blogging much after thursday’s game. Not a good game by the Mavs.The official website has a video with some postgame comments from Coach Cross. He didn’t seem happy.
Sad to say but, that might have been one of the worst overall halves (15 minutes actually, I left with about 5:00 left in the game) I’ve seen in a long time. Wow.
Give ASU credit…they got hot from outside but something seeemed different overall in the second half for UTA on both ends of the floor. It was very reminiscent of the Boise State game last year in Arlington.
Continue reading
