Box Score RICHARDSON, TX (01.05.13) - The UT Dallas men's basketball team shot nearly 50 percent as the Comets picked up their third straight win Saturday afternoon, a 74-43 home victory over Howard Payne in American Southwest Conference play.
The Comets (now 9-4, 5-3 ASC) opened the game 24-2 run and never looked back as they closed out ASC crossover play sitting in second place in the East Division. UTD used a strong opening half to set the tone for the afternoon, committing just three turnovers in the half and holding HPU to just six first-half field goals. The Comets got more selective with their shots in the second half, hitting 13-of-26 shots from the floor, while slowly extending an 18-point halftime lead to a 31-point victory.
Junior
Kyle Schleigh continued to prove to be one of the top players in the ASC, finishing Saturday's contest with a game-high 25 points in addition to nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocked shots. Schleigh, a three-time ASC East Player of the Week already this season and the league's leading scorer, was 9-for-12 from the field, hitting a pair of three-pointers, and was 5-for-6 from the foul line.
The Comet defense allowed the lop-sided start to the game as the visiting Yellow Jackets committed five offensive fouls in the first eight minutes, allowing UTD to build a 22-point lead with 11:52 left in the first half. HPU actually scored the opening points of the game before the Comets rolled off 24 straight points.
Schleigh led all scorers at the half with 12 points as UTD shot 46.7 percent from the floor, hitting six three-pointers, before the break. The Comets were shooting better than 60 percent over the majority of half before cooling off heading into the locker room. UTD held a 20-point lead over the Jackets well into the half before HPU finished period on a 10-5 run.
It took just over a minute into the second half for UTD to regain a 20-point cushion, getting a jumper from Dimitriy Chernikov with 18:46 to play to lift the Comets to a 44-24 lead. The Comets slowly added to their lead, eventually taking a 30-point lead in the final two minutes of the game.
The Comets finished 27-of-56 from the field (48.2%), hitting 10-of-23 three-pointers (43.5%), and shot 83.3 percent (10-for-23) from the foul line. UTD dominated the boards, out-rebounding the Jackets, 36-23. Joining Schleigh in double digits were
Ryan Smith and
Nolan Harvey, both with 10 points.
For HPU (4-9, 2-5 ASC), Christian Davis finished with 12 points while Brandon Gould had 11 points. The Yellow Jackets shot 30.8 percent (12-of-39) from the field, hitting 4-of-11 three-pointers (36.4%), and hit 15-of-21 free-throws (71.4%).
The Comets return to ASC East play Thursday as they host East Texas Baptist. Game time is 7:30 p.m. at the UTD Activity Center.
