UTA wins Sun Belt opener as Cross becomes school’s winningest men’s coach
Scott Cross got his 1-0 start to Sun Belt play.
Oh, and he became the winningest coach in UT Arlington history in the process.
Thanks to a relentless commitment to the 3-pointer, the Mavericks erased an early deficit and knocked off two-time defending Sun Belt champion Georgia State 85-70 Wednesday night at the College Park Center.
It was the 163rd career win for Cross (163-130), who passed Eddie McCarter to become the most successful coach in program history.
“A coach is nothing without good players. We have a special group and they have a special bond,” Cross said. “I am just fortunate and blessed to be able to lead these guys and coach at my alma mater.”
Despite the 15-point victory, it wasn’t as easy as it looked. The Panthers (7-3, 0-1 SBC) pounded the ball inside, got Kevin Hervey into early foul trouble and took a 21-14 lead. The Mavericks (10-2, 1-0) shot just 30 percent from the field in the first 10 minutes.
It wasn’t until Hervey drained a 3-pointer seconds after his return to the court that UTA found its footing. The Mavericks went on a 14-0 run, punctuated by back-to-back steals and baskets that gave them a seven-point lead.
A coach is nothing without good players. We have a special group and they have a special bond. I am just fortunate and blessed to be able to lead these guys and coach at my alma mater.
UTA coach Scott Cross
UTA put an emphatic stamp on its first-half rally when Jorge Bilbao collected a miss and heaved it upcourt to Faith Pope, who slammed home a dunk as the buzzer sounded to complete a 22-8 run that put them ahead for good.
The Panthers cut the lead to two early in the second half, but a pair of 3-pointers from Drew Charles and Jalen Jones extended the lead to eight, and it grew from there.
Winners of five straight, the Mavericks stuck to the blueprint that’s driven their success. They outrebounded the Panthers 45-29 and got at least nine points from five players.
“This is fun and I hope it continues to build. It’d be unbelievable to sell this place out later on this year,” Cross said.
Hervey led all scorers with 17 points, but Jones and his 15 points carried the Mavericks with huge baskets when they needed them most.
This is fun and I hope it continues to build. It’d be unbelievable to sell this place out later on this year.
Cross on the Mavericks’ success at home
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This story was originally published December 30, 2015 at 10:38 PM with the headline "UTA wins Sun Belt opener as Cross becomes school’s winningest men’s coach."