The No.3-seeded UT Arlington Mavericks (22-9) square off against the Texas State Bobcats (15-15) in the second round of the SBC tournament at Lakefront Arena. The game starts at 8:30 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 11 and will air on ES3.
The Mavericks won big over Troy 90-55 the last time they played. Erick Neal played well, finishing with 14 points, five assists, and two steals for the Mavericks. The Bobcats, meanwhile, are coming off a 63-61 win over Georgia State in the 1. Kavin Gilder-Tilbury led the game in scoring with 18 points on 6-for-10 shooting.
Points could be at a premium in this matchup between two of the nation’s best defenses. UT Arlington ranks seventh in the nation in defensive efficiency (95.0), while Texas State is 21st (98.8). Also, the Bobcats commit the 24th-fewest errors in the nation (TO% of 18.3%), while the gambling defense of the Mavericks causes the ninth-most (opponents’ TO% of 20.6%).
The Mavericks have won both matchups against the Bobcats this season, including a 75-69 blowout in their last matchup. Kaelon Wilson was a standout player in the game, producing 13 points, six rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block, and one three-pointer.
Notes
UT Arlington won its last game by a 35-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Texas State is 5-3. UT Arlington is 11-0 in blowouts this season.
The Texas State Bobcats have a defensive rating of 98.8 (ranked 21st), while the UT Arlington Mavericks have an offensive rating of 109.1 (ranked 103rd).
On average, UT Arlington has 73.5 possessions per game and scores 1.091 points on each possession. Texas State has both fewer possessions (64.8) and scores fewer points during those possessions (1.020).
Texas State has an average effective field goal percentage of 47.4%. UT Arlington is an even 8-8 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the UT Arlington Mavericks attempt 26.0 three point field goals per game and the Texas State Bobcats attempt 14.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, UT Arlington has a solid 18-7 record, while Texas State is 2-3.
UT Arlington ranks 62nd in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.27. Texas State is ranked lower at 198th with an A/TO of 1.01.
The UT Arlington Mavericks are the third-ranked team in offensive rebounds, while the Texas State Bobcats are the 148th-ranked team in defensive rebounds.
Texas State makes an average of 6.1 steals per game. UT Arlington has a winning 15-7 record when it allows at least 6 steals.
