LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- The SUU Men's Basketball team will face off against the UT Arlington Mavericks for the fourth time this season in the 2026 Air Force Reserve WAC Basketball Tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Head Coach Rob Jeter said

"This is the one that counts. We have played them three times already but this is the one that counts. If we can come out and show a little more effort and a little more discipline, I know that we can win this game. At the end of the day it comes down to who wants it more. So we have to want it more."

---

Game Details

Who: Southern Utah (10-21, 6-12 WAC) vs UT Arlington (17-13, 9-9 WAC)

When: Thursday, March 12 at 7:00 p.m. MT

Where: The Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada

Watch: ESPN+

Live Stats: HERE

---

Previous Matchups

• In the 2025-26 regular season, the Mavericks won two of the three games against the Thunderbirds.
• In the first meeting, Marcell McCreary went off for 39 points for UTA, and the Mavericks beat SUU 86-77 in the AFEC.
• The second time the teams matched up, SUU could not make a shot and ultimately fell in Arlington, 61-80.
• In the final matchup of the regular season, Elijah Duval went for 20 points and five total Thunderbirds recorded double-digit scoring in a 78-73 win.

---

The Thunderbirds

The WAC recently announced the 2025-26 postseason awards, and true freshman point guard Elijah Duval earned more accolades than any other player. Duval was named the WAC Freshman of the Year, selected to be on the All-Conference Second-Team, and added to the All-Freshman team.

Jaiden Feroah also received recognition for his outstanding effort on the defensive side of the ball. He was named to the WAC All-Defensive team due to his league-leading 51 blocks this season.

SUU closed the regular season with two losses to the top-ranked teams in the league, an 88-92 loss to UVU and a 75-82 loss to the Lancers.

Despite the recent slide, the Thunderbirds still locked up the No. 5 seed in WAC Vegas and have a good opportunity to knock off the No. 4 seed Mavericks.

Duval leads the Thunderbirds with 15.6 points per game and just under four assists. He is coming off a career-high 30 points last time out against CBU.

Tanner Hayhurst, SUU's third leading scorer, didn't play in the regular season finale but will be looking to light up The Orleans Arena with his near 50% shooting from long range.

The starting lineup of Duval, Hayhurst, Feroah, Isaiah Cottrell, and Kai Burdick has proven steady for Coach Jeter's program and provides a ton of size and length.

The key for SUU will be handling UTA's physicality. The Mavericks average the second-fewest points per game in the league, but are at the top of the conference in opponents' points per game. They allow teams to score just 66 points per game on average.

---

The Mavericks

Marcell McCreary was named to the WAC Second-Team, and Jordan Lowery got a spot on the All-Freshman team.

UTA is fifth in the league in FG% and dead last in the league in 3PT%, shooting just 29% from behind the arc.

They are second in the league in offensive rebounding, snatching 12 extra possessions per game, but they are second-to-last in turnover margin at -1.5.

Marcell McCreary and Raysean Seamster lead the way for the Mavericks. McCreary averages just under 13 points per game and leads the team with 49 made triples on the year. Seamster is a beast on the glass and can score it around the rim as well. He averages 12 points per game and leads the team with 6.5 rebounds per game, including 70 offensive boards.

Cash Chavis is the only other Maverick averaging double figures, he checks in at 10.1 points per game and he also leads the team with 109 assists on the year.

UT Arlington makes it very difficult for opposing teams to score. They rely on getting stops, getting rebounds, and pushing in transition. SUU will need to be careful with the basketball and make sure that every offensive possession results in a good shot.

---

TICKETS

Tickets to the 2026 Air Force Reserve WAC Basketball Tournament are available. They can be purchased online at orleans.boydgaming.com.

---

FOLLOW US

Stay up to date during the 2025-26 Southern Utah Men's Basketball season by following @SUUBasketball on Twitter and Instagram and by liking the Southern Utah Basketball page on Facebook.

---

DONATE

To help support Thunderbirds athletics consider making a donation today! To learn more about how you can support click here.