ALPINE, Texas (02.23.18) - The top-seeded Sul Ross State Lobos broke open a nip-and-tuck game late to pull away with a 62-54 victory over the UT Dallas Comets in the semifinals of the 2018 American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament Friday night at the Gallego Center.

The host Lobos (21-6) scored 11 of the game's final 16 points after UTD (19-8) held its last lead (51-49) with 4:36 remaining to secure a trip to the tournament finals, where they will face East Texas Baptist University at 6 pm Saturday evening.

The two teams battled throughout the low-scoring affair with five ties and six lead changes, but UTD was held to just 29.5 percent shooting (18-of-61) from the field. Sophomore Dimitrius Underwood was the only Comet to finish in double figures with an 11-point game. Curtis Allen scored nine points on three three-point shots, but UTD hit just three more long-range scores as a team.

The Lobos worked their way out to a seven-point lead in the first 10 minutes of the game, but UTD fought back and took a 17-16 lead on a Jon Hatcher three-pointer with 3:46. A three-pointer at the halftime buzzer gave SRSU a 23-21 lead.

Sul Ross again stretched its lead at the start of the second period, building an eight-point (35-27) advantage at the 14:39 mark. But UTD got right back in the game. An Allen three-pointer with 10:42 remaining pulled the Comets to within two (39-37),  and he did it again at 6:59 to make it a 44-42 deficit. A Caleb Banks free throw tied the score back up at 44-44 (6:29) and Allen hit another three to give UTD back the lead at 47-44 (5:56). Underwood's jumper at 5:04 put UTD up 49-48, and Banks hit two more free throws at the 4:36 mark to give the Comets another two-point edge (51-49). The Lobos, however, answered with seven unanswered points over a two-minute span and salted the game away at the free throw line.

Ironically, UTD led in three important statistical categories - outscoring SRSU, 13-5 in second chance points; 11-8 in points off turnovers and points in the paint, 20-16. But the Lobos got 37 points off the bench and led for over 32:00 of the game.

Senior point guard and UTD assist leader Banks, was held to just three assists and finished three assists short of the ASC's alltime assist record.