Box Score BELTON, TX (12.13.12) - The UT Dallas men's basketball team was handed its second loss of the season Thursday night as the Comets stumbled in the second half, falling at Mary Hardin-Baylor, 74-70, in American Southwest Conference crossover play.
The two teams combined for 19 points in the final minute of the game, however the Cru held the lead throughout the flurry to earn a sixth straight win over UTD, dating back to the 2009-10 season.
Leading 31-27 at the break, the Comets (now 6-2, 3-2 ASC) shot just 40 percent from the field in the second half as UTD continued its struggles against Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Comets' last win over UTD came more than three years ago, a 83-79 win over the Cru on Nov. 28, 2009.
After controlling the first half, the Comets' final lead of the game came with 13:37 left to play as
Kyle Schleigh drained a three-pointer to lift UTD to a 38-37 advantage. However, the Cru answered with a 6-0 run, getting four points from Kitrick Bell, and the home squad never relinquished the lead. UMHD widened its lead to as many as 12 points, 55-43 with 7:37 remaining, before the Comets attempt one final comeback attempt.
Schleigh and teammate
Carter Nash started the UTD run with field goals on back-to-back trips down the floor to trim the Cru lead back to single digits and
Nolan Harvey later used a layup with 5:41 left to draw the Comets within five points, 57-52. After a pair of free throws by Bell that give UMHB back a seven-point cushion, Schleigh drained another triple to cut the Cru lead to four points, 59-55, with 4:30 to play.
Just over a minute later, Harvey got the Comets within a point, 59-58, as he drained a trey with 3:17 on the clock, but the Cru quickly responded with a three-pointer by Cory Meals on UMHB's next trip down the floor to cut off the Comets before they could regain the lead. The Cru added another three-pointer from Meals and a jumper from Bell to regain a seven-point lead, 67-60, with just under a minute to play.
The two teams then combined for 19 points over the final 58 seconds of the game. After trading free throws with the Cru, UTD's
Mitchell Anderson gave the Comets another breath of hope with his team-leading third three-pointer of the night to draw UTD back within four points, but the Comets would not get any closer until Nash hit a trey with seven seconds left to close the gap to three points. However, UMHB's James Allen iced the game with 1-of-2 free throws on the Cru's next possession.
The Comets finished the night shooting 43.1 percent (25-of-58) from the field, hitting 11-of-32 three-pointers (34.4%), and shot 75 percent (9-of-12) from the free-throw line. Schleigh recorded his third straight "double-double", scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, both team highs, in the losing effort. It was also Schleigh's fourth such performance in five games.
The UTD starting five accounted for 66 of their 70 points as three other starters joined Schleigh in double figures. Harvey finished with 14 points, Nash had 13 points and Anderson ended with 11 points.
Reese Dahse, the final starter, had eight points.
Chris McOmber was the only UTD reserve to score in the contest, adding four points.
For UMHB (now 6-2, 4-0 ASC), Bell scored a game-high 28 points to lead three Cru players in double digits. Bell was 9-for-14 from the field and added a 10-for-12 performance from the foul line. Bell also grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds. The Cru shot 43.3 percent (26-of-60) from the field, connecting on just 6-of-20 (30%) from behind the arc, and shot 76.2 percent (16-of-21) from the free-throw line. UMHB out-rebounded the Comets, 42-32.
The Comets return to action next Thursday as they visit Concordia-Texas in ASC crossover play. Game time is 3 p.m. in Austin.
