UT Arlington beats top 25 team for 1st time in program history
MORAGA, Calif. - Kevin Hervey scored 15 points and UT Arlington beat a top 25 team for the first time in program history, shocking previously unblemished No. 12 Saint Mary's 65-51 on Thursday night.
The Mavericks (8-3) had gone 0-28 against ranked opponents dating to their first try in February 1967 before their big upset at McKeon Pavilion, where the Gaels had won eight straight and 23 of 24.
But Saint Mary's (6-1) never clicked against the scrappy UTA team while returning from a break for final exams for its first game since a win at Stanford on Nov. 30.
Erick Neal added 13 points and eight assists in UTA's seventh straight victory.
Jock Landale had a rare poor shooting performance, limited to 14 points on 3 of 10 from the floor and the Gaels had a season-low 11 assists.
Saint Mary's trailed 49-30 with 11:50 to play, then used an 11-3 spurt to get back to 52-41. UTA kept answering on both ends with key baskets and rebounds - such as a contested 3-pointer from the top by Drew Charles with 7:42 remaining.
The Mavericks, from the Sun Belt Conference, used quick, crisp passing to create open looks from the perimeter and the paint to outplay the Gaels early. Three times this season - their lone three previous losses - squandered double-digit halftime leads in road losses at Minnesota, Florida Gulf Coast and Arkansas.
Hervey hit his first three shots as UTA jumped to a 21-12 lead midway through the first half and led 36-23 at the break.
Saint Mary's fell behind 21-12 and 27-15 late in the first half making just 6 of its first 18 shots and 2 of 6 by the typically spot-on Landale.
MOMENT OF SILENCE
A moment of silence was held before the national anthem for the victims of the deadly warehouse fire last week in nearby Oakland.
BIG PICTURE
UTA: The Mavericks have led at halftime in all of their games. ... UTA followed up a 99-49 victory against Division III UT Dallas by outplaying one of nation's top programs in all aspects.
Saint Mary's: Calvin Hermanson, 21 of 40 from 3-point range coming into the game, went 1 for 7 from beyond the arc. ... Landale's shooting percentage dropped from 76 percent to a 70-percent clip (54 for 77).
UP NEXT
UTA: Off until playing Dec. 16 at Bradley.
Saint Mary's: Host UC Irvine on Sunday after the Anteaters lost last month in overtime at California. Seventh-year Irvine coach Russell Turner is a former Golden State Warriors and Stanford assistant.