The Southern Utah University men’s basketball team lost in a tough conference matchup against the University of Texas at Arlington on Thursday, Feb. 1. The Mavericks led by double digits for a majority of the game, preventing a comeback by the Thunderbirds. This 76-68 loss takes the Thunderbirds to 8-13 overall and 3-7 in Western Athletic Conference play, while the Mavericks rise to 10-11 overall and 5-5 in the WAC.
First half
Play got started with SUU guard Braden Housley hitting a three-point shot. The Mavericks quickly responded with a powerful dunk from guard Makaih Williams. Both teams struggled to find offensive rhythm in the opening minutes and played great defense instead.
After a handful of empty possessions, the Mavericks took over. This dominant stretch started with guard Phillip Russell hitting three consecutive three-pointers, giving UT Arlington a 16-7 lead six minutes into the game. The Thunderbirds had a hard time finding a strategy to counter their opponent’s performance. Arlington was playing powerhouse defense, making every possession difficult for SUU. They had no trouble scoring the ball, especially from three-point range.
Ten minutes into the game, Southern Utah was down 22-11, and they continued to fall behind. They could not find any offensive flow or capitalize off the turnovers they were creating. Guard Zion Young was the highlight for the team, scoring 10 points in the half and keeping the Thunderbirds in the game.
Everything went UT Arlington’s way. Russell led the way with 13 points, followed closely by Williams’ 12. These performances guided the Mavericks to a lead of as many as 16 points in the half.
Down 16 points with three minutes left, SUU cut into UT Arlington’s lead with a 7-0 scoring run. This run left the halftime score at 36-27 in favor of the Mavericks.
Second half
Coming out of the break, neither team could get any rhythm. After three minutes and thirty seconds, UT Arlington put up the first points of the half. After seven minutes of play, the Mavericks had only shot 2/11, while the Thunderbirds went a low 1/9.
After the rough start, UT Arlington began pulling away, going up by as many as 18 points. Guard Dajuan Gordon had an explosive half and was aided by Russell, who continued to lead the way for the Mavericks. On the defensive side, forward Shemar Wilson dominated the paint with five blocks.
The momentum the Mavericks carried was too much for SUU to overcome. They made a few great efforts behind guard Prophet Johnson to close the gap, but the deficit was too large and there was not enough time. This impressive performance by UT Arlington gave them a 76-68 victory.
Explosive players
— Gordon secured an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double with three assists and two steals.
— Williams scored 14 points and three assists.
— Russell put up 22 points, four assists and three steals.
— Young put up 16 points and seven rebounds.
— Johnson scored 16 points, three assists and three steals.
Key stats
— Arlington shot 12/26 from three and held Southern Utah to 4/16.
— This was UT Arlington’s first road win of the season.
Next for SUU
The next matchup will be another home game for the Thunderbirds. They will face off against the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros on Saturday, Feb. 3, at 6:30 p.m. The game can be attended at the America First Event Center or streamed on ESPN+.
Author: Jacob McQueary
Photographer: Anden Garfield
Editor: Anden Garfield
sports@suunews.net
