ALPINE, TX (02.25.16) - Junior forward Kyle Coulter was 4-for-5 from three-point range for a game-high 20 points as the UT Dallas men's basketball team suffered an 82-68 loss to Hardin-Simmons Thursday in the opening round of 2016 American Southwest Conference Tournament, held at the Gallego Center on the campus of Sul Ross State.

Despite a roster without a senior on the squad, Terry Butterfield's Comets (now 17-9) managed the No. 2 seed out of the ASC's East Division with a 9-6 lead mark this season, advancing to the ASC Tournament for the 13th consecutive season.

Hardin-Simmons (now 16-10) grabbed early momentum and nearly led wire-to-wire before extending its lead to double digits late in the contest. The Comets secured their only lead of the game with 3:21 left in the first half when Dapo Ogunfeitmi hit the second of two free throws to give UTD a 31-30 advantage. However, the Cowboys would finish the half on a 12-2 run to take a 42-33 lead into the locker room.

With 15:50 left in the game, Coulter drained a three-pointer to cap a 7-0 Comet run and slice the HSU lead back to six points, 46-40. UTD would later draw within four points, 57-53, after a Jon Hatcher free throw with 8:57 remaining, but the Comets would not be able to trim the lead any more.

Coulter led four Comets in double-figure scoring as Ben Smith finished with 13 points, hitting 4-of-6 three-pointers, Caleb Banks added 11 points and Ogunfeitmi had 10 points. Hatcher grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. UTD hit 10-of-22 three-pointers (45.5%), finishing the season with 10 or more treys in 13 contests.