RICHARDSON, TX (02.11.16) - Junior guard
Dapo Ogunfeitmi scored a career-high 22 points but it wasn't enough as the UT Dallas men's basketball team suffered its second straight home loss Thursday night, falling to Louisiana College, 71-60, in American Southwest Conference East Division play.
The Comets (now 15-7, 7-5 ASC) will look to snap its two game-skid Saturday afternoon as UTD plays its final home game of the season against ASC East leader East Texas Baptist. Game time is 3 p.m. at the UTD Activity Center.
Ogunfeitmi was one of three Comets to reach double figures in Thursday's loss, joined by fellow starters
Kyle Coulter (15) and
Caleb Banks (12). UTD was held under 40 percent shooting for just the seventh time this season and shot just 29.6 percent (8-of-27) from three-point range.
Leading the game, 27-19, with 5:59 left in the first half, the Comets watched LC score 15 unanswered points to end the period and take a 34-27 lead into intermission. The Wildcats continued to pull away early in the second half as well, securing a 47-37 advantage with 13:00 left to play after a Steven Evans second-chance basket. LC widened its lead to as many as 15 points twice in the second half before the Comets rallied late.
Down 62-47 with 5:53 remaining, UTD clawed back within single digits with just over 1:30 left on an Ogunfeitmi three-pointer, his fifth of the contest. After a defensive stop, Coulter drained a three-pointer from the corner with 59 seconds left to draw within six points, 65-59, but the Comets would get no closer.
UTD finished the night 21-of-55 (38.2%) from the field and were just 10-of-17 (58.8%) from the free-throw line. Ogunfetimi was 7-for-14 from the field, 5-for-11 from long distance, and added three rebounds and a pair of steals. Coulter and
Jon Hatcher each finished with a team-best eight rebounds.
Despite the loss, the Comets maintained second place in the ASC East with thre games left to play. However, UTD will likely need to win all three remaining contests to earn the division's No. 2 seed. The 2016 ASC Tournament is slated for Feb. 25-27 at the West Division winner.
