Kevin Butler scored 15 points as Texas-Arlington defeated Samford 65-58 Saturday night in a non-conference game.
Butler, the Mavericks' leading scorer, hit his first five shots, including two 3-pointers for 11 early points. Trailing 16-10, Texas-Arlington (2-1) went on a 16-0 run. Butler scored nine of those points. It was 36-26 at halftime.
Samford (1-6) was led by Raijon Kelly, one of three Bulldogs in double figures with 20 points. Tim Williams scored 14 points and just missed a double-double with nine rebounds. Connor Miller added 11 points. He hit his first three 3-point attempts, but then missed his next four.
Samford got within 61-56 with just under a minute left to play. But the Bulldogs would get no closer.
For Texas-Arlington, Jordan Reves had a double-double, scoring 14 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Jamel Outler added 11 points, and Shaquille White-Miller chipped in with 10.
