JONESBORO, Ark. – UT Arlington men’s basketball lost a hard-fought game in Jonesboro on Thursday night, ultimately falling to Arkansas State 83-79. Four Mavs reached double figures, led by a guard Jaden Wells’ 19 point performance.

“We have to get tougher by rebounding the basketball,” head coach said KT Turner said after the game. “I felt like we fought until the end, but we made a few pointless plays on both sides that we need to clean up – minor, but it messed up the flow of the game. I feel like we should have been up 12 at halftime. “We should have stepped on their throats more in the first half. Our guards didn’t do a good job of rebounding – they need to get tougher and we need to make free throws. They just did it. I don’t think there will be as many nights like this where we shoot so poorly from the free throw line.

The Mavs built a lead and held it for most of the first half. Wells scored the team’s first five goals and was at guard Brandyn Talbot With two quick threes, the Mavs brought the score to 18-12 at the second media timeout.

Forward Diane Smith scored 11 of his 15 points in the first half and knocked down three triples, his third giving the Mavs a 29-25 lead late in the first half. Forward/Center Lance Ware was another Mav in double figures, finishing with 11 points, seven rebounds and four blocks, three of them in the first half.

A bucket from the guard Darius Burford In the final 15 seconds, he extended the UTA lead to 39-35. The Mavs shot 9 of 17 from distance (52.9%) in the first half and finished the game 14 of 30.

The Mavs and Red Wolves traded baskets and leads early in the second half, but it was a 15-0 run by Arkansas State that ultimately defeated the Mavericks. UTA cut the lead to just four, but it wasn’t enough.

“It will be great to come home and play a home game in front of our fans,” Turner continued. “We’re ready to go, I wish we could play in the morning.”

The Mavs return home from College Park Center in Arlington to host Louisiana-Monroe (4-7) on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and on Varsity App Radio, 102.5 FM and KTNO 620 with the voice of the Mavs, Josh Sours.

— #BuckEm –

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