NEWPORT NEWS, VA (12.01.19) - Junior Kelden Pruitt recorded his first-career 'double-double' and added five blocked shots as he helped the UT Dallas men's basketball team to an 83-55 win over Wilmington College to close the 2019 Hampton Marina Classic, hosted by Christopher Newport.

Pruitt finished the Comet's victory with 21 points and 11 rebounds, both career highs, while closing the lop-sided win just one block shy of the program single-game record. He hit 9-of-13 shots from the field and added two assists and a steal. 

Comet Jalen Weber led all scorers and three UTD players in double digits with 24 points while Hans Burwitz pitched in 10 points. The Comets (now 3-2) shot 53.6 percent (30-of-56) from the floor as a team, connecting on 7-of-19 three-pointers (36.8%). UTD was 16-of-23 (69.6%) from the free-throw line.

Pruitt and company dominated to boards as the Comets bounced back from a tough loss to classic-host CNU Saturday afternoon. UTD nearly held a 3-to-1 advantage in rebounding over the Quakers (1-5), closing the win with a 53-20 margin.

The Comets opened the game on a 7-0 run and never looked back, securing their first double-digit lead at the 13:11 mark of the opening half as Simeon Soname drained a pair of free throws to lift UTD to a 19-9 advantage. The Comets shot 51.6 percent (16-of-31) from the field and out-rebounded WC, 28-9, over the first 20 minutes as they grabbed a 44-33 lead at the break.

UTD then used a 25-11 rebounding advantage in the second to allow the Comets to pulled away for the 28-point victory. Weber scored 15 of his game-high 24 points in the second half, hitting 5-of-6 shots from the floor after the break.

The Comets return home Wednesday night as they open American Southwest Conference play against Ozarks. Tip-off is 7:30 p.m. at the UTD Activity Center.