UT Arlington Opens Season With 89-56 Win
The Mavericks beat University of North Texas at Dallas at College Park Center in their 2026-27 season opener.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Basketball
UT Arlington men's basketball opened its 2026-27 season with an 89-56 victory over University of North Texas at Dallas on Monday at College Park Center. The Mavericks have now beaten the Red River Athletic Conference school in four consecutive seasons.
Why it matters
The win gives UT Arlington a 1-0 start before it heads to the Outrigger Rainbow Classic in Honolulu this weekend. Arlington fans get an early read on a team that broke open a close game with a 16-2 run before halftime.
Noah Shelby led UT Arlington with 17 points, five Mavericks finished in double figures, and Niko Bundalo grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds. UT Arlington is 4-0 all-time against University of North Texas at Dallas and has not lost to a non-NCAA Division I team since December 2006.
The players
UT Arlington Mavericks
The men's basketball program of the University of Texas at Arlington, a member of the NCAA Division I Western Athletic Conference.
University of North Texas at Dallas
A public university in Dallas that competes in the Red River Athletic Conference and was beaten by UT Arlington for the fourth straight season.
The details
Miles Goodman scored the first Maverick points of the season on a layup. UT Arlington went on a 12-2 run early in the second half to stretch its lead after taking a 42-22 halftime advantage.
Timeline
Monday: UT Arlington beats University of North Texas at Dallas 89-56.
Friday: UT Arlington plays University of Portland at 8:30 p.m. in Honolulu.
Sunday: UT Arlington plays University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa at 9 p.m. in Honolulu.
Nov. 9: UT Arlington plays Bethesda University at 8:30 p.m.
Season Trajectory
The opener sets a 1-0 baseline for a Mavericks team that now turns to a multi-game trip to Honolulu. Their streak of avoiding losses to non-NCAA Division I teams since December 2006, which ended in a 78-76 loss to UT Dallas, remains intact.
The Mavericks' Honolulu schedule means fans wanting to follow the team will need to track games across several time zones over the next week. The Nov. 9 home game against Bethesda University is the next chance to see the team at College Park Center.
The takeaway
A strong opening performance against a familiar opponent gives the Mavericks confidence heading into a challenging tournament stretch. Track the Rainbow Classic results to see how the team handles competition beyond its usual schedule.
What happens next
UT Arlington travels to Honolulu for the Outrigger Rainbow Classic, facing Portland on Friday and Hawaiʻi at Mānoa on Sunday, before hosting Bethesda University on Nov. 9.
Further reading
Follow more coverage in our Basketball section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Shorthorn.
