ABILENE, TX (01.07.16) - A scoring drought midway through the first half turned an early lead into a deficit the UTD men's basketball team were unable to make up as the Comets fell 69-64 to Hardin-Simmons in an American Southwest Conference road game Thursday night.

The loss was the second straight for UTD (now 7-3, 2-2 ASC) while Hardin-Simmons (9-4, 4-1) won its fifth game in a row.

The Comets jumped out to an early 15-7 lead over the Cowboys after a Reed Cummings layup at 12:21 in the first half. But HSU followed with a 16-0 run to overtake UTD and led, 23-15 with 6:47 to go before intermission. UTD got within striking distance several times in the second period, but could not retake the lead.

A Kyle Colter three-pointer and Jon Hatcher layup cut the lead down to 36-33 early in the second period, but HSU again answered with a run to stretch the margin out to 44-35 at 14:35. An 11-6 run by the Comets pulled UTD within 50-46 with 6:59 remaining, but the Cowboys responded with back-to-back three pointers and the Comets never got closer than the final five-point margin.

UTD hit eight three-pointers in the game, but took 34 long-range shots to do it. For the game, the Comets were 24-of-67 from the field for 35.8 percent. HSU, which was 10-of-29 from beyond the arch, shot 40 percent (22-of-55) for the game. HSU also took advantage of 20 free throw attempts, hitting 15. UTD was 8-of-11. The Comets won the rebounding battle, 43-39.

Sophomore guard Caleb Banks scored a season-high 19 points, but Jon Hatcher was the only other UTD player to finish in double figures with 11.

The Comets remain in Abilene to face McMurry University Saturday afternoon in a game that will not count in the conference standings.