Box Score PINEVILLE, LA (01.17.13) - The UT Dallas men's basketball team started its five-game road trip on a low note Thursday night, falling at Louisiana College, 67-65, in American Southwest Conference East Division play.
The Comets (now 12-5, 7-4 ASC) had its six-game winning streak come to an end with the loss, but remain atop the ASC East standings by a half a game thanks to a loss by Texas-Tyler (6-4 ASC) earlier in the week.
LC's Kevin Cottonham hit a jumper with 15 seconds left to play to complete the Wildcat's come-from-behind upset. Leading by just two points, 30-28, at the break, the Comets pulled out to an 11-point second half lead before fading late in the contest. With 11:54 left to play, UTD grabbed a 50-39 advantage on a
Kyle Schleigh jumper to seemingly take control of the game. However, the Wildcats answered with a 14-2 run over the next five minutes, eventually knotting the game, 53-53, with 6:57 remaining on a Cottonham jumper.
The Comets stopped the bleeding on their next possession with an old-fashioned three-point play by Matt Meddell to give UTD back a three-point cushion, 56-53, with 5:50 left, but the Wildcats responded with a 6-0 run, thanks to a pair of Comet turnovers, to take their first lead of the game. After a jumper by Romanaski Williams with just under five minutes to play, the Wildcats led 59-56.
After a third-straight turnover by UTD, the Wildcats extended their lead to 61-56 with jumper by Doc Welch before the Comets would make a late run try to regain control of the game. A three-pointer by
Chris McOmber, followed by a shot-clock violation by the Wildcats and a Schleigh jumper drew the Comets back to a tie, 61-61, with 2:48 on the clock. UTD regained a two-point lead just over a minute later on a pair of Schleigh free throws, but the Wildcats against tied the game with a Williams' jumper on their next trip down the floor.
Two free throws by
Nolan Harvey would give UTD its final lead of the night, 65-63, with 1:34 to play, before Anthony Gaines hit a jumper in the paint for the Wildcats to force the third tie in the three minutes. Schleigh's three-pointer with 57 seconds fell short, setting up Cottonham's game-winner. LC's Danny Sumner attempted a three-pointer for the Wildcats with 48 seconds remaining, however Cottonham snagged the rebound. After a LC timeout, the Wildcats nearly need the entire shot clock before Cottonham's bucket. UTD's attempt to force overtime fell off the rim after Schleigh jumper at the buzzer.
The Comets shot higher than 50 percent for the sixth time this season, second time in a loss, hitting 23-of-45 shots (51.1%) from the field on the night. UTD was 10-for-21 (47.6%) from three-point range, and shot 81.8 percent (9-for-11) from the foul line. Schleigh, the ASC's leading scorer, finished with a game-high 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting, hitting three three-pointers, and was 3-for-3 from the foul line. He added eight rebounds and four steals, both team highs. McOmber was the only other Comet in double figures, ending the game with 10 points.
For the Wildcats (now 4-8, 4-6 ASC), Cottonham and Gaines each finished with 18 points. LC shot 55.8 percent (29-of-52) from the field as a team, hitting 5-of-16 three-pointers (31.3%), and shot 44.4 percent (4-of-9) from the free-throw line.
Next up for the Comets is a trip to Mississippi College for the second game in the current five-game road swing. Game time is 3 p.m. in Clinton, Miss.
