PEORIA, Ill. - Omari Grier buried seven 3-pointers en route to a career-best 33 points, but UT Arlington overwhelmed host Bradley with a barrage of first-half 3-pointers and coasted to an 86-75 men's basketball win in the season-opener for both teams Friday night at Carver Arena.

While Grier made 9-of-15 field goal attempts overall, including 7-for-11 from 3-point range, and 8-of-10 free throw attemtps, the rest of the Braves suffered through a frigid shooting night. Bradley's other nine players combined to make just 17-of-53 (.321) from the floor, as well as a 6-for-15 (.400) from the free throw line.

The visiting Mavericks drained 10-of-14 first-half 3-point attempts and used the hot shooting to breakaway from a 16-16 tie with 10:32 left in the first half. Sparked by a Kevin Hervey trey with 9:54 remaining, UTA hit seven 3-pointers during a 28-7 run, capped by a Julian Harris triple for a 44-23 lead with 1:30 left in the half.

UT Arlington's lead grew to as many as 24 points, 81-57 with 5:21 left, before a late Bradley rally made the final score more respectable.

Drew Charles led four Mavericks in double-figures with 14 points, while Hervey, Jamel Outler and former Illinois State guard Johnny Hill all chipped in with 13. Hill aded nine rebounds and five assists for UTA, as well as his second technical foul in his last two visits to Carver Arena.

Junior guard Warren Jones scored 13 points in his debut game for the Braves, but he and Grier were Bradley's only double-digit scorers. Junior guard Ka'Darryl Bell struggled from the floor (1-for-7), but did dish out a career-best eight assists, while junior forward Mike Shaw battled through a toe injury for seven points and nine rebounds off the bench in his Bradley debut.

The Braves will return to action Wednesday, hosting defending Northeast Conference champion Robert Morris for a 7 p.m. tip at Carver Arena. The game against the Colonials will be preceded earlier in the day by the season's first Braves Club Gameday Luncheon, presented by Herget Bank.