Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 RICHARDSON, TX (11/22/08) - It wasn't supposed to be an easy weekend for the UT Dallas men's basketball team as the Comets hosted the first annual Fred Jacoby / I-20 Classic, but persistence paid off both nights as UTD topped guests LSU-Shreveport and Guilford College of North Carolina to improve to 3-0 on the season.

The Comets, who begin American Southwest Conference play next weekend, battled back from slow starts both nights to top an athletic LSUS squad, 71-64, Friday; then shut down the deep and talented Quakers with a tenacious defensive plan Saturday, 64-48.

Senior guard Temaine Wright was the star of the show both nights, scoring 39 points over the weekend and coming up with a critical steal and two big free throws to ice the Friday night win. Defensively, the Comets  held both opponents under 37.4% shooting.

UTD 71, LSU-SHREVEPORT 66 (BOXSCORE)

The Comets figured to have their hands full with the athletic Pilots from LSU-Shreveport, a scholarship NAIA program that included several Division I and junior college transfers, but somehow pulled out a nail-biting 71-66 win in a roller-coaster game that wasn't decided until the final horn blew.

UTD, which had shot an abysmal 12-of-24 at the free throw line throughout the game until that point, nailed its final four free throws in the game's last :11 to secure a win that looked like it might slip away.

With :19 left in the game, the Pilots had come to life and pulled to within a point at 67-66. After Ernie Lowery made it 69-66 with a pair of clutch free throws, Wright came up with the biggest play of the night, stealing the ball from the Pilots' Jared Stephenson, who also fouled the Comet point guard. Wright then went to the line and secured the win with two more free throws.

UTD fell behind 13-3 to open the game, but clawed its way back in to tie up the score at 37-37 by halftime. The Comet  defensive pressure then paid off to start the second half as the Pilots went nearly eight minutes without scoring and UTD built up a 15-point, 57-42 lead with 9:23 remaining. But LSUS wasn't finished. The Pilots suddenly found their offensive spark and rallied back with a 24-10 run to get within a point with :19 left on the clock.

The Comets forced the action throughout, putting the short-handed Pilots (who only had eight active players) in foul trouble early and forcing two LSUS player out of the game with fouls. UTD failed to take advantage, though, hitting just 16-of-28 free throws; but compensated by shooting over 55 percent from the field in the second half.

The Pilots were sparked by guard Tyrone Hamilton, who drained 4-of-20 three pointers and finished with 23 points. UTD got double-figure nights from Wright (15 points), Lowery (13) and Brandon Greene, who hit four 3-pointers and had six rebounds. Jordan Eppink and Jimmy Witten combined for 15 more rebounds.

LSUS edged UT-Tyler, 78-77, on the second night of the tournament.

UT DALLAS 64, GUILFORD COLLEGE 48 (BOXSCORE)

The Comets completed the tournament sweep Saturday night with the same defensive game plan, handing Guilford College of North Carolina its first loss of the season, 64-48.

Wright again was the sparkplug for the Comets, scoring 16 of his game-high 24 points in the second half as UTD methodically rallied from a five-point deficit to put away the Quakers, who opened the tournament Friday with an impressive 78-64 dismantling of ASC foe Texas-Tyler.

Down 38-33 five minutes into the second half, UTD went on a decisive 16-4 run over the next 6:27. The Comets drained three of their six three-pointers during the spurt, which also included a traditional three-point play by Wright. With 8:53 remaining, the Quakers again made it close by pulling to within 49-44, but the Comet defense allowed just one Guilford field goal  the rest of the way. Meanwhile, Wright went on a tear, scoring 11 of UTD's 15 points to close out  the win.

For the second straight night, UTD shot at a remarkable 56.0% clip in the second period and held the opposition to its lowest shooting percentage of the season at 37.5%. The Comets also out-rebounded the Quakers, 39-30. with Witten hauling in nine boards.

Only one other Comet – Scott Rodgers (11 points) – joined Wright in double figures, but UTD really didn't need individual stardom as six other players contributed to the scoring.

The Comets (3-0) begin American Southwest Conference play on the road next weekend with a Saturday game at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, and a Monday matchup with Concordia University in Austin.