WHITTIER, CA (11.09.19) - Less than 24 hours after a thrilling overtime win to open the 2019-20 season, the No. 11-ranked UT Dallas men's basketball team suffered a 91-86 road loss at Whittier College Saturday night to close the Bulldog Classic.

Jalen Weber, the Comets' hero on Friday, and Michael Forster each finished with a game-high 24 points as the UTD starting fve accounted for 74 of the squad's 86 points. Other starters Kelden Pruitt added 16 points, Hans Burwitz seven points and Xavier Ferrell three. Kavin Ezekwe was a bright spot off the bench for the Comets, finishing with eight points.

The Comets (now 1-1) led most of the opening half before Whittier snagged its first lead of the contest with 1:13 before the break when Nick Colosi steal and layup put the Poets up 39-38. Pruitt answered with a three-pointer for the Comets on their next possession, but Whittier ended the half with a trey by Journey Shank to secure a one-point cushion, 42-41, at intermission.

UTD regained the lead early in the second half on a Weber layup but would not hold the lead for long. The host Poets (1-1) grabbed the lead for good with 17:01 left to play and never looked back. Whittier led by as many as 10 points twice midway through the second half before the Comets would make one final run.

The Comets used a 7-0 run late in the contest, capped by a free throw by Forster to cut the Whittier lead down to just two points, 75-73, with just under four minutes to play and would even get within a point just over a minute later after a Weber three-pointer, but the Poets closed the game going 9-for-10 from the foul line to pull away.

UTD shot 44.4 percent (28-of-63) from the field and hit 15-of-30 three-pointers in the losing effort. Burwitz led the Comets with nine rebounds.

After a pair of California road games to open the season, the Comets will play their home opener next Sunday, Nov. 17, when they host in-state rival Trinity at 3 p.m. at the UTD Activity Center.