RICHARDSON, TX (01.16.17) - The UT Dallas men's basketball team led most of the game but could not secure the victory as the Comets dropped a 83-71 decision at home to Mary Hardin-Baylor Monday in American Southwest Conference play.

The Comets (3-13, 2-7 ASC) will look to end a four-game losing skid Thursday night whey they host East Texas Baptist in the second game of a four-game home stand. Game time is at 7:30 p.m. at the UTD Activity Center.

After securing a 36-29 lead the break, UTD led by as many as 10 points early in the second half before the Cru rallied for the 12-point road win. With 16:33 left to play, Jon Hatcher hit a pair of free throws to lift UTD to a 48-38 advantage, but UMHB followed with a 9-0 run over the next two minutes. UTD bounced back to pull back ahead by six points twice over the next three minutes, the latter at 57-51 with 11:23 remaining, but the Cru charged back and took their first lead of the second half at 60-59 on a Demarius Cress lay up with 8:07 to play.

After four lead changes, the Cru took control for good, 65-64, on a jumper by Cress at the 5:46 mark and outscored the Comets, 20-7, over the final six minutes of the contest. UTD was 2-for-10 during that stretch.

Caleb Banks led four Comets in double figures as he scored a team-best 19 points, going 7-for-7 from the foul line, and adding 10 assists for his third double-double of the season. Jon Hatcher finished with 13 points, Kyle Coulter had 12 points and Dimitrius Underwood had 11 points. Coulter grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season.

The Comets shot 40 percent (24-of-60) from the field and hit 9-of-29 three-pointers (31%). UTD was 14-of-19 (73.7%) from the free-throw line.