Box Score ABILENE, TX (01/03/09)  - The UT Dallas men's basketball team fell for the first time this season, dropping a narrow 63-61 road decision to McMurry in a tight, defensive battle that featured 15 ties and 16 lead changes.

The Comets (9-1, 4-1 in American Southwest Conference play) got just a Brandon Greene free throw in the game's final 4:54 and that was all it took to allow McMurry (5-4, 4-1) to inch out the first UTD defeat of the season.

UTD held the biggest lead for either side during the game with an 8-point advantage (26-18) at 3:59 in the first half, but McMurry was able to tie up the score again and trailed just 30-28 at intermission after a 10-4 run. A Scott Rodgers shot gave UTD its 60-54 advantage with 4:54 remaining, but a Greene free throw was all the Comets could muster the rest of the way, allowing McMurry to protect its home court.

A potential game-winning three-point attempt by Greene in the final seconds hit the back of the iron and  Chris Barnes came up short on a tip-in at the buzzer that might have sent the game into overtime.

Ernie Lowery led the Comets with 17 points while Jordan Eppink had a 12-point, 8-rebound game. McMurry's defensive pressure held UTD to its lowest shooting percentage of the season, allowing the Comets just 43.9% shooting performance from the field.

The loss not only knocked the 23rd-ranked Comets from the ranks of the undefeated, but dropped UTD from the top of the American Southwest Conference East Division race into third place behind 6-0 LeTourneau and 5-1 Texas-Tyler. UTD has a chance to make up some ground Monday when it travels to the other side of Abilene to face Hardin-Simmons.

BOXSCORE