Box Score MARSHALL, TX (02.19.09) – The UT Dallas men's basketball team was hoping its opportunity to win an outright American Southwest Conference East Division title wouldn't come down to the final game of the regular season. But after faltering Thursday night in a 74-58 loss to East Texas Baptist, that's exactly what the Comets face when they travel to LeTourneau Saturday afternoon.
The Comets (now 15-4 in conference and 20-4 overall) must now defeat 16-8 LeTourneau Saturday in order to avoid a possible three-way tie for the East Division title, and likely lose their opportunity to host the ASC Championship Tournament Feb. 27-March 1. At 14-5 in conference, Mississippi College and LeTourneau are both hot on the trail of the Comets, who have seen their division lead dwindle down to one game. In a three-way tie, MC would hold the tiebreaker edge over both UTD and LETU.
UTD, which had been one of the league's best defensive teams on its way to a 20-3 start, allowed ETBU to shoot 57 percent from the field Thursday nigh - including 65.4 percent in the second half. UTD didn't come close to shooting that well themselves in a game the Tigers led almost from start to finish. The Comets finished hitting just 19-of-60 from the floor and was just 7-of-28 in 3-point shooting. ETBU even dominated the boards, out-rebounding the Comets, 41-29.
UTD was as close as four points with 7:39 to go in the first half (14-18), but ETBU finished the half on a 14-6 run to go up 32-20. The Tigers then built that lead into an even more comfortable margin by opening the second half with a 6-0 run to go out front, 38-20. Down by as many as 20 points in the second half, the Comets were able to get to within nine points with 2:22 left when
Ernie Lowery and
Scott Rodgers hit three quick 3-pointers followed by a
Jordan Eppink free throw. But ETBU closed out the half by turning missed Comet shots or turnovers into easy layups. UTD had, in fact, committed so few fouls in the second half that they were unable to force ETBU to the line until very late in the game.
Rodgers and
Jimmy Witten each scored 10 points to lead the Comets while ETBU had five players finish in double figures.
With the win, ETBU (13-11 overall) improved to 10-9 in conference and is still in the hunt for a post-season berth.
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