UT Arlington defeats Abilene Chrstn 82-72

UT Arlington Edges Abilene Chrstn in Conference Thriller, 82-72

In a hard-fought conference matchup, the home team UT Arlington emerged victorious over visiting Abilene Chrstn, 82-72, at College Park Center on Tuesday night.

The game was a closely contested affair from the opening tip-off, with both teams trading baskets and playing tenacious defense. At halftime, the Mavericks led by a slim margin of 8 points, 37-29. However, Abilene Chrstn's offense found its rhythm in the second half, outscoring UT Arlington 43-37 to narrow the gap to just 10 points, 74-64.

Despite trailing late, the Mavericks' Marcell McCreary led a crucial comeback, scoring 8 of his 20 points in the final minutes to secure the win. McCreary's all-around performance included 6 rebounds and 2 assists, while also containing Abilene Chrstn's Bradyn Hubbard, who scored 27 points but shot just 61.5% from the field.

Abilene Chrstn's Rich Smith led his team in assists with 8, but it wasn't enough to overcome UT Arlington's balanced attack. The Mavericks' Bahsil Laster added 18 points and 3 rebounds off the bench, while Joseph Venzant grabbed 5 boards for Abilene Chrstn.

The game was marked by a significant difference in free throw shooting, with UT Arlington making 29 of 29 attempts from the line, compared to Abilene Chrstn's 32-21. The Mavericks also outrebounded their opponents 32-20 and committed just 13 turnovers to the Colonels' 12.

The win brings UT Arlington's record up to (X-X) in conference play, while Abilene Chrstn falls to (X-X). With this victory, the Mavericks take a crucial step forward in the conference standings and prove themselves as a force to be reckoned with.