Box Score RICHARDSON, TX (12.29.12) - The UT Dallas men's basketball team was handed its third straight loss Saturday afternoon as the Comets fell to No. 5-ranked Wisconsin-Stevens Points, 72-55, at home in non-conference play.
Stevens Points' Jordan Giordana nearly single-handedly led the Pointers to the win as he was 9-for-12 from three-point range, hitting seven treys in the opening half to set the tone for the afternoon. On Giordana's 21 first-half points, the visiting Pointers grabbed a 34-23 halftime lead on UTD as the Comets shot just 38.1 percent (8-for-21) from the field before the break.
The Comets (now 6-4) changed the flow of the game to open the second half, however, opening the period with a 15-6 run to draw within two points with 14:04 left to play. Comet junior
Kyle Schleigh opened the half with an old-fashioned three-point play as he sparked a 6-0 spurt by the Comets less than two minutes into the half.
Nolan Harvey scored on back-to-back trips down the floor to trim the UWSP lead down to four points, 40-36, with 15:04 remaining. After the first media timeout of the half, UTD made it a one possession game when a jumper by
Dmitriy Chernikov drew the Comets to two points, 40-38.
But, the Pointers (now 10-1) answered abruptly, scoring nine straight points over the next two minutes, including Giordana's ninth and final three-pointer of the contest during the stretch. UTD failed to climb back within seven points for the remainder of the contest as the Pointers limited the Comets to just three field goals over the final nine minutes of the game.
UTD finished the game shooting 45.5 percent (20-of-44) from the field after warming up early in the second half. The Comets were 12-of-23 (52.2%) from the floor in the final 20 minutes. UTD hit just 3-of-11 three-pointers (27.3%) and struggled from the line, hitting just 12-of-18 shots (66.7%). Schleigh led the Comets with 13 points on 5-of-14 shooting while adding a game-high eight rebounds. He finished two rebounds shy of his fifth straight "double-double". Harvey and
Carter Nash each finished with 10 points.
For the Pointers, Giordana finished with a game-high 29 points, hitting his only attempt from inside the three-point line. Joe Ritchay added 13 points and a team-high six rebounds. UWSP shot 59.6 percent (28-of-47) from the field, hitting 12-of-23 three-pointers (52.2%) and made 4-of-7 free-three attempts.
Next up for the Comets is another non-conference affair as UTD hosts Austin College for a New Year's Day game. Game time is 4 p.m. at the UTD Activity Center on Tuesday, Jan. 1.
