ST. GEORGE, Utah (Interstat) — Texas-Arlington survived a second-half surge by Utah Tech to secure a 56-52 men’s basketball victory Thursday night at Burns Arena. The Mavericks built a 27-18 halftime lead behind a stifling defense that held the Trailblazers to 1-of-15 shooting from 3-point range. Utah Tech outscored Texas-Arlington 34-29 after intermission but could not overcome its cold shooting and 9-of-18 performance at the free-throw line. Raysean Seamster led the Mavericks with 14 points. Tanner Davis and Ethan Potter each scored 16 for Utah Tech. Texas-Arlington improved to 12-5 overall, while Utah Tech fell to 9-10. Attendance was 1,793.

ST. GEORGE, Utah (Interstat) — In a defensive struggle defined by missed shots and critical free throws, the Texas-Arlington Mavericks escaped Burns Arena with a narrow 56-52 victory over the Utah Tech Trailblazers in a Western Athletic Conference men’s basketball game on Thursday night. The Mavericks, who improved to 12-5 overall, built a commanding 27-18 halftime lead by stifling the Trailblazers’ offense. Utah Tech shot a dismal 1 for 15 from three-point range for the game and connected on only half of its 18 free-throw attempts, squandering multiple opportunities to close the gap or take the lead in a tense second half. The most important part of the game unfolded in the final 30 seconds. Clinging to a 52-49 lead, Texas-Arlington’s Marcus Rigsby was fouled and calmly sank both free throws with 12 seconds remaining to push the advantage to five. Utah Tech’s Tanner Davis answered with a quick tip-in to make it 54-51 with three seconds left, but the Mavericks’ Casmir Chavis was immediately fouled on the ensuing inbounds play. Chavis sealed the victory by making both free throws, rendering a final three-point attempt by Utah Tech’s Chance Trujillo inconsequential. The game was a stark contrast in halves. Texas-Arlington’s defense set the tone early, holding Utah Tech to just 18 first-half points on 21% shooting from the field. The Trailblazers, who fell to 9-10, found a rhythm after halftime, outscoring the Mavericks 34-29, but could never fully overcome their early deficit or their own inefficiency. Tanner Davis led Utah Tech with 16 points, while Ethan Potter also added 16 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. For Texas-Arlington, Raysean Seamster finished with 14 points and Tyran Mason provided a key spark off the bench with eight points. Both teams struggled offensively. Texas-Arlington shot 32.1% from the field and committed 16 turnovers. Utah Tech was only slightly better at 31.8% from the floor and managed just one three-pointer. The difference came at the foul line, where the Mavericks converted 17 of 21 attempts compared to the Trailblazers’ 9-of-18 performance. Utah Tech’s defense was active, tallying 13 steals and six blocks, but its offense could not capitalize. The Trailblazers also won the possession battle, securing 14 offensive rebounds to the Mavericks’ 13, yet consistently failed to convert second-chance opportunities. The victory extends Texas-Arlington’s recent strong run in conference play. The Mavericks will travel to face Utah Valley on Saturday. Utah Tech, meanwhile, will look to regroup at home against Tarleton State, also on Saturday. The game, played before an announced crowd of 1,793 at Burns Arena, defied pregame expectations. Utah Tech had been installed as a slight 1.5-point favorite, and the combined point total of 108 fell far below the over/under line of 139.5, underscoring the defensive and offensively challenged nature of the contest.

ST. GEORGE, Utah (Interstat) — A surging Texas-Arlington team visits a Utah Tech squad seeking consistency in a Western Athletic Conference men’s basketball matchup Thursday night at Burns Arena. The Mavericks (11-5, 3-1 WAC) have won three straight, including an 82-72 home victory over Abilene Christian on Saturday. They are led by high-scoring guard Marcell McCreary, who is averaging 20.3 points over his last six games. He erupted for 39 points in a win at Southern Utah on Jan. 3 and added 20 points and six rebounds in the most recent victory. UTA’s recent success has been built on defense, holding opponents to an average of 63.3 points during the three-game win streak. Bahsil Laster (18 points) and Casmir Chavis (15 points) provided key support alongside McCreary in the win over Abilene Christian. The host Trailblazers (9-9, 2-3) look to rebound from back-to-back road losses at California Baptist and Utah Valley. They fell 92-76 to the Wolverines on Saturday despite 12 points and three assists from forward Ethan Potter. Potter has been a steady contributor for Utah Tech, scoring in double figures in five of his last six outings. He posted 23 points in a notable road win at Weber State on Dec. 20 and had 20 points at Cal Baptist last week. The Trailblazers are 6-2 at home this season. The teams will meet again in Arlington on Feb. 19. UTA continues its road trip at Utah Valley on Saturday. Utah Tech hosts Tarleton State on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. MST.