Slow Second Half Results In Third Straight Loss For Utah Tech Trailblazers

ARLINGTON, Texas – The Utah Tech Trailblazers dropped to the UT Arlington Mavericks, 89-78, after falling flat in the second half.

Utah Tech shot a respectable 48% from the field and 39.1% from three. Aric Demings led the Blazers in scoring with 19.

Turnovers killed UTT in Texas. They gave up the ball 20 times which led to 25 points off turnovers.

Final#UtahTechBlazers | #UniteTheFamily x #IntoTheStorm pic.twitter.com/Vsr34bYwfl

— Utah Tech Men’s Basketball (@UtahTechMBB) February 24, 2024

First Half

Noa Gonsalves got the Blazers started with a three-point response to UT Arlington.

Gonsalves carries the Utah Tech offense early in the first.

The sharpshooter scored 11 of the Blazer’s first 13 points as UTT went up by eight.

1H- Noa with the side step 3⏪#UtahTechBlazers | #UniteTheFamily x #IntoTheStorm pic.twitter.com/E4q0KOUHGM

— Utah Tech Men’s Basketball (@UtahTechMBB) February 24, 2024

Five points from Jaylen Searles increased the Utah Tech lead to 18-5.

The Mavericks stopped the bleeding with a 7-2 run.

1H- UU with a drive and Olayinka with the tip-in!!#UtahTechBlazers | #UniteTheFamily x #IntoTheStorm pic.twitter.com/dTtNPhUrix

— Utah Tech Men’s Basketball (@UtahTechMBB) February 24, 2024

With nine minutes left, Utah Tech led by 10, 22-12.

UT Arlington’s Makaih Williams scored six unanswered to drop the UTT lead to four.

Williams continued to lead the Mavericks as they fought back to tie the game at 27 with four minutes left.

UT Arlington and Utah Tech fought to gain an advantage in the final minutes of the half.

They went back and forth and ended the half in a tie.

Tied at the Half#UtahTechBlazers | #UniteTheFamily x #IntoTheStorm pic.twitter.com/kkdeKjIhb7

— Utah Tech Men’s Basketball (@UtahTechMBB) February 24, 2024

Second Half

The Trailblazers opened the second half on a 7-2 run.

After three minutes, Phillip Russell gave UT Arlington its first lead since the opening minutes.

Once the Mavericks took the lead, they didnt look back.

Over the next six minutes, UTA slowly increased its lead. Ten minutes into the half, they secured their largest lead of the game at 14, 65-51.

ANOTHER LOOK AT @PbgJaylen HAMMER 😳🫢 pic.twitter.com/vWa8grWrkK

— Utah Tech Men’s Basketball (@UtahTechMBB) February 24, 2024

A balanced scoring attack allowed Utah Tech to creep back into the game.

The Blazers closed the lead down to seven off of two Tanner Christensen free throws.

Once UTT got into striking distance, the Mavericks took off again.

UT Arlington reopened a double-digit lead and didnt let go this time.

Utah Tech fell to 10-17 on the season with the 11-point loss to the UT Arlington Mavericks, 89-78.

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Chandler Holt is a co-host for the Jazz Notes podcast and a Digital Sports Producer for sports.ksl.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.

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