ARLINGTON, TEXAS -- The Southern Utah Men's Basketball team battled back from down 11 at halftime but couldn't get a layup to fall as time expired and lost a tight 70-68 contest to UT Arlington.

Head Coach Rob Jeter said

"We battled man, and I am proud of that. We all understand the situation we are in and the guys we are missing so for us to be in a position to win that game was a positive."

Top T-Birds

• Jeffrey (JT) Langston Jr had a phenomenal game. Scoring 16 points, pulled down six rebounds, dished three assists, and recorded a block.
• Jamir Simpson led the Thunderbirds in scoring with 20 points, including 18 in the second half.
• Brock Felder pulled down a massive 13 rebounds to go along with six points.

Game Recap

Both teams came out with intensity of defense, with just 22 points combined at the under-12 media timeout. The team exchanged the lead throughout most of the first half, but then, in a span of 60 seconds, the Mavericks knocked down two triples, and Lance Ware threw down a dunk to make it an 11-point lead going into the halftime break.

After being held to just two points in the first half, Simpson came out and knocked down back-to-back triples to cut into the Maverick lead.

At the under-12 media timeout, the lead was trimmed to just one for UTA, and then a pair of free throws from Felder gave the Thunderbirds its first lead of the second half. 

With 2:19 remaining, Brody Robinson knocked down a huge triple to give the Mavericks a 66-63 lead, but on the ensuing possession, Langston Jr pulled up and buried his first triple of the season to knot the score at 63. 

The teams exchanged a pair of free throws, and then Robinson made a driving layup with 8.2 seconds remaining. Hercy Miller drove the length of the floor and had a good look at the rim but couldn't get the layup to fall, and the Thunderbirds comeback came up just short.

HIGHLIGHTS

Up Next

The T-Birds will stay in Texas for a game at Tarleton State on Saturday, February 1. Tip will be at 6:00 p.m. on ESPN+.

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