RICHARDSON, TX (01.04.16) - Visiting Sul Ross State shot nearly 57 percent from the field as the Lobos handed the UT Dallas men's basketball team its first conference and home loss of the season Monday afternoon, 78-71, at the UTD Activity Center.

The Comets (now 7-2, 2-1 ASC) shot just 39.1 percent for the game and hit just 14-of-22 free throws as they were handed their second loss in three outings after starting the season 6-0. UTD will look to bounce back Thursday as they visit Hardin-Simmons in American Southwest Conference play. Game time is 7:30 p.m. in Abilene.

The top three-point shooting team in the ASC, Sul Ross State (now 6-6, 4-1 ASC) went 10-for-17 from long distance, hitting six second-half three-pointers, as they expanded on a two-point halftime lead for the seven-point victory. The Lobos entered Monday's game shooting a league-best 37.8 percent from beyond the arc, while UTD was second in the ASC (37.7%). The Comets held their own from long range, hitting 7-of-18 deep shots (38.9%), but could not keep pace.

It was the final three-pointer by the Lobos that sealed the victory for SRSU as Xavier Webb drilled a shot from the corner with one second left on the shot clock to give the guests a 74-69 lead with just under a minute left to play. The Lobos finished the game 4-for-4 from the line to ice the game.

After a pair of lead changes early in the game, the Comets grabbed control of the contest with a seven-point advantage, 15-8, with 12:09 left before halftime on a Noah Hill jumper. However, the Lobos soon after, taking back the lead, 18-17, on a three-pointer by Rocky Feliciano with 9:15 in the half. UTD would knot the game twice before regaining a lead, 29-28, with 2:44 on the clock on a Jon Hatcher jumper, but the Lobos scored the final four points of the half to take a 31-29 lead into the locker room.

The Comets used a 6-0 run early in the second half to take back control, but SRSU would regain the lead with just under 14 minutes left on an old-fashioned three-point play by Caleb Thomasson. The Comets would not regain the lead the rest of the contest, drawing within a point, 54-53, with 8:31 left after a Hatcher lay up. The Logos extended their lead to as many as 12 points down the stretch before UTD made one final rally.

Down 70-58 with 5:07 left to play, the Comets used a 7-0 run, using a three-pointer by Caleb Banks and two free throws each by Hatcher and Daop Ogunfeitmi to claw within five points, 70-65, with 2:41 remaining. After a free throw by SRSU's Thomasson, the Comets got a lay up from Reed Cummings and a jumper from Banks to cut the deficit to just two points, 71-69, with 1:26 left before Webb's dagger.

Hatcher led the Comets with 17 points, going 6-for-11 from the field and 4-for-5 from the foul line. Kyle Coulter added 16 points, hitting 4-of-8 treys, and Ogunfeitmi finished with 13 points. The Comets were 25-of-64 from the floor and 63.6 percent from the line.

For SRSU, Alex Harrison led four players in double figures with 19 points. Feliciano had 17 points off the bench while Webb had 13 points and Thomasson finished with 10 points. The Lobos were 29-of-51 (56.9%) from the field and 10-for-13 (76.9%) from the line.