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Men's basketball slashes Bobcats, anticipates win vs. A&M-Corpus Christi

Written by Clint Utley, The Shorthorn sports editor

Monday, 01 February 2010 08:35 PM

Although the men’s basketball team has won two games in a row, head coach Scott Cross offered a piece of advice on his team’s recent success.

“Proud peacock today, feather duster tomorrow,” he said, referencing UT-Austin’s head basketball coach Rick Barnes. “You’re only as good as your last game.”

The Mavericks went down to San Marcos to face Texas State University on Saturday. They came back victorious. Four players scored in double figures to lead the Mavs over the Bobcats in an 82-78 victory.

UTA shot 72 percent from the free throw line compared to 57 percent from TSU.

The Mavericks held the Bobcats to 35 percent shooting from the floor while shooting 45 percent as a team.

Head coach Scott Cross runs through a play with freshman forward Jordan Reves in the Physical Education Building Monday afternoon. (The Shorthorn: Aisha Butt)

Senior guard Marquez Haynes paced UTA with 21 points and five assists while playing 34 minutes. The other three players with 10 or more points — all seniors — were guard Dwight Gentry, forward Tommy Moffitt and guard Brandon Long.

The win gave the Mavericks a 10-9 overall record with a 2-4 record in the Southland Conference and evened the season series with the Bobcats.

In the two teams’ first meeting this season at Texas Hall, TSU was victorious 64-60.

Cross said the shared offensive production is a positive.

“Any time we can take some pressure off of Marquez and B-Long, I think it’s going to help us out tremendously,” he said.

Moffitt registered his first points since returning from injury last week against Houston Baptist University.

“I had to,” Moffitt said about getting on the stat sheet after not scoring a point against HBU. “That hurt. Zero for 6. Can’t play like that if you want to win.”

Haynes said the wins against HBU and TSU have increased the team morale after starting 1-4 in conference.

“Any time you can get two in a row going and finally see some of the stuff we’ve been working on finally paying off, it definitely lifts the spirits of the team,” he said.

That payoff will be tested Wednesday night in Texas Hall when the Mavs host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Senior guard Kevin Palmer leads the Islanders with 20.3 points per game.

Haynes said Palmer isn’t the only threat the Islanders possess.

“Last year he played really well against us,” he said. “Rebounding is going to be the issue. They’re big, big on the perimeter.”

TAMUCC is 11-9 this year with a 5-1 conference record. Palmer has scored in double figures in 41 straight games.

Cross said Palmer resembles a player on the Mavericks’ roster.

“He’s going to score points against us,” he said. “We’re not going to hold him to a goose egg. We just got to make everything he does, tough.”
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Last Updated ( Monday, 01 February 2010 08:38 PM )

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