| SPORTS
| DECEMBER 2, 2005
Men’s Basketball
Mavericks, Griffin soar over Falcons
Forward Jermaine Griffin sets
career high in both points and rebounds.
 |
| The Shorthorn: Mark Roberts |
| Senior forward Steven Thomas
shoots a left-handed reverse layup during the
second half of the Mavs game against UT-Permian Basin
on Thursday night in Texas Hall. Thomas finished with
17 points and eight rebounds in the Mavs’ 79-65
victory over the Falcons. |
|
By Princess
McDowell
The Shorthorn staff
The Mavericks trounced UT-Permian Basin on Thursday night, 79-65,
for the team’s third consecutive victory.
Forward Jermaine Griffin led the way, posting career highs in points
and rebounds with 23 and 22, respectively, while adding three blocks
and a steal.
Griffin said he knew he was capable of a good performance.
“I came to play hard,” he said. “I was just trying
to pick it up.”
The Mavs started the game with good pressure defense, forcing turnovers
on the first two Falcon possessions. Guard Jarrett Howell and guard
Brady Dawkins together drained three 3-pointers to put UTA ahead,
17-4. UT-Permian Basin would then score eight straight points, including
a one-handed dunk over Dawkins by Marlo Saunders.
The Mavs quickly answered back, stopping the Falcons on two straight
possessions while scoring on two of their own to regain a 12-point
lead. After stuffing 6-foot-10, 290-pound Falcon Frank Bartlett
on the defensive end, Griffin converted a put-back to raise the
lead, 28-15. UTA would gain its largest lead of the night when guard
Rodrick Epps drove the lane and then passed to Griffin between two
defenders. Griffin ended the play with a two-handed jam.
UT-Permian Basin fought back, cutting the lead to seven at halftime,
35-28.
Head coach Eddie McCarter said he was enjoying himself for the first
16 minutes of the game until the Falcons fought to within seven.
“The kids [on the floor] didn’t play with a lot of energy,
so I came back with my top six or seven guys to make sure we could
maintain the lead,” he said. “It would have been tough
to stop them.”
UT-Permian Basin cut the advantage to five early in the second half,
but a basket and a Dawkins three put the lead back to 10. An old-fashioned
three-point play halted a five point Falcon swing, which UTA followed
with an alley-oop dunk by forward Steven Thomas.
The two teams traded points with the Falcons getting no closer than
10 until Thomas was called for a technical foul. UT-Permian Basin
converted four from the charity stripe, two for the technical and
two from the foul, to get within seven.
The Falcons then instituted a full court press but could not slow
the Maverick offense as the team cruised to a 12-point victory.
Dawkins said the fast pace of the game did not bother the team,
but it must work on turnovers and staying focused.
“When you play defense, rebound and run, then you can have
fun,” he said.
The team continues season action Saturday against second-ranked
UT-Austin. McCarter said the team must hit shots to have a chance
against the Longhorns.
“If we don’t do that, it might be a long night,”
he said.
Griffin said the prospect of facing Dallas native LaMarcus Aldridge,
who is averaging 18 points and 12.3 rebounds in the past week alone,
does not scare him at all.
“He isn’t someone special,” he said. “I’ve
been playing against him since high school. Let’s go play
some ball.”
|
|
