LaMarcus Reed isn’t all that excited about his team’s improved play on the road, but he isn’t being cold.
UTA’s leading scorer just has higher expectations for himself and his teammates.
“I think last year I would have been impressed,” the senior forward said. “But this year, we expect it. No excuses. We have to be able to play well at home or on the road.”
The Mavericks play Sam Houston State on the road at 7 p.m. Wednesday and hope to extend their school-record 13-game win streak and remain undefeated in Southland Conference play.
REED ALMOST WINS SLC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior forward LaMarcus Reed was named honorable mention for Southland Conference Player of the Week for last week’s play.
Nicholls State sophomore guard Dantrell Thomas won the award after averaging 22.5 points per game in two wins.
Reed helped keep UTA’s perfect conference record in tact with wins against UT-San Antonio and Central Arkansas.
UTA has already surpassed its road wins from a year ago. Last season, the Mavericks were 4-10 away from Arlington and 2-5 on the road in conference. This season, UTA is 6-4 on the road and has a perfect 4-0 in SLC road games.
Winning on the road isn’t something head coach Scott Cross can simulate in practice.
There’s no way to simulate thousands of fans shouting at his players or shooting at an unfamiliar arena. Road wins come with experience — the main reason Cross thinks his team has been winning road games this year.
“Our guys have grown up, they have matured,” Cross said. “It’s a veteran group. They want to win, they want to win a championship.”
Defense has also been key. In the Mavericks’ last four road games, the team has shot 44.3 percent from the field and only shot over 50 percent in one of those games. Junior forward Kevin Butler said defense is a lot easier to stay consistent with, home or away, and the defense won them those games.
SLC TOURNEY TICKETS NOW ON SALE
Tickets to the 2012 Southland Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament are now on sale.
The tournament will be from March 6-10 at the Leonard E. Merrell Center in Katy, Texas. A general admission ticket for the quarter and semifinals is $13 and a ticket to each championship game is $10.
Tickets can be purchased from ticketmaster.com or the Merrell Center box office.
“Defense is a big thing, especially on the road,” Butler said. “The home team has the crowd behind them. Playing defense is the key on the road.”
The Mavericks have made up for their sporadic shooting on the road with the defense they emphasize. In those last four road games, UTA has held its opponents to a 41.3 percent shooting percentage.
Last season, one of UTA’s two road wins came at Sam Houston State for the first time since the 1998-1999 season. Reed said with that burden off their back, it’ll be easier to focus on the task at hand Wednesday night.
“Playing defense, that’s the toughest thing,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to stop your opponent. We’ve had a chance to scout for two, three days. We’ll be ready.”
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