Box Score PINEVILLE, LA (01.29.09) - The UT Dallas men's basketball team used smothering defense and a big first-half lead to ease past Louisiana College Thursday night, 56-40; and maintain its narrow lead in the American Southwest Conference East Division race.

The Comets (16-2 overall) moved to 11-2 in ASC play with the win,  one and a half games up on LeTourneau and two games ahead of rival Mississippi College, whom the Comets meet on the road Saturday afternoon.

UTD again used its defense to keep Louisiana College (3-14, 1-12) from getting back in the game after building a 30-16 halftime lead. The Wildcats hit just 8-of-25 shots in the first half and finished the night shooting just 34.8 percent from the field. The Comets also dominated the boards, out-rebounding LC, 43-21.

Despite the dominating first-half lead, UTD did let the Wildcats make a game of it in the first 6:17 of the second half. LC went on a 15-4 run to cut the Comet lead down to three (34-31) at 13:43. UTD went over six minutes without a field goal during that stretch before Jordan Eppink broke that stalemate with a pair of inside buckets just :18 apart to put UTD back out comfortably in front at 39-31. UTD then finished off an 18-2 run to have its biggest lead of the game (52-34) with 4:22 left.

Senior guard Temaine Wright and sophomore forward Jimmy Witten both finished the game with double-doubles. Wright had 13 points and 11 rebounds while Witten had 10 points and 11 boards. Eppink, who pitched in five rebounds, finished with 10 points and Scott Rodgers scored nine off the bench.

BOXSCORE