March 3, 2007

Box Score

SAN MARCOS - All five of Texas-Arlington's starters scored in double figures and defensively the Mavericks stopped a Texas State second-half rally to knock off the Bobcats 93-84 in both teams' regular-season finale in Texas Hall Saturday.

With the win, UTA improved to 13-16 and punched its ticket to the O'Reilly Auto Parts Southland Conference Tournament with an 8-8 league record. The conference's post-season tournament begins Thursday in Houston. Texas State tripled its wins from a year ago, posting a 9-20 overall record and a 4-12 mark in conference play under first-year coach Doug Davalos.

Texas State never led in the game but fought back from double-digit deficits in both halves.

The Bobcats cut UTA's lead to 68-67 with 7:30 to play when Moseley tipped in a George Kiel miss. But at the other end of the floor, Anthony Vereen converted a three-point play. After Texas State's Brandon Thomas made one of two free throws, Vereen knocked down two more at the line and Brandon Long drilled a three-point to push the Mavs' lead back to 76-68.

UTA's lead stretched back to double figures with less than three minutes to play but the Bobcats' Dylan Moseley spurred another comeback. The sophomore was fouled on a three-point attempt with 2:26 to play and made all three of his free throws. He later knocked down a three-pointer to cut the lead to 85-81.

The Bobcats had an opportunity to further cut the lead when a turnover led to an unnecessary foul by UTA's Cardell Hunter. Moseley, however, made just one of two at the line and the Bobcats never could cut the deficit back to one possession.

UTA starting forward Tommy Moffitt registered a double-double, scoring 17 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. Ro'ger Guignard scored 19 points and dished out six assists while Larry Posey scored 15 points, including 13 in the second half.

Brandon Bush scored 25 points, two shy of a career high, and also had seven rebounds to lead Texas State. Chris Agwumaro registered his first double-double for the Bobcats, scoring 12 points to go with 10 reboounds. Moseley finished with 12 points and five boards.

The Bobcats got off to a slow start, missing six of their first eight shots and turning the ball over four times in the opening minutes as UTA jumped out to a 17-5 lead.

Texas State would fight its way back into the game and at one point in the first half trailed by just one point, 23-22 with nine minutes to play. But the Bobcats would go more than four minutes without a field goal and the Mavericks extended their lead back to double figures, 35-22.

During the final six minutes of the period Bush scored nine of the Bobcats' final 16 points. Brent Holder would score on back-to-back possessions including a three-pointer with 18 seconds to play but Brandon Long's trey with two seconds left in the half gave the Mavs a 46-38 lead at the break.