LONGVIEW, TX (02.14.19) - The UT Dallas men's basketball team claimed the title of the American Southwest Conference's East Division and will host the league's tournament for the first time since 2014 after an 89-88 road win over LeTourneau Thursday night.

The Comets improved to 20-4 overall and secured the ASC East crown with a 12-3 league mark with one game left in the regular season. Two-time defending ASC East champion LETU fell to 17-8 overall and slipped into a tie for second place in the division at 11-5 as the Yellow Jackets closed out the regular season with the loss. UTD will play its final warmup before the postseason tournament Saturday afternoon when the Comets visit East Texas Baptist. Tip-off is 3 p.m. in Marshall.

Leading 85-78 with just over three minutes to players, the Comets were forced to hold off one on of the top teams in the ASC down the stretch. LETU responded with a field goal and a pair of free throws over the next minute to draw within four points before Michael Forster gave UTD back a six-point advantage, 87-81, with a lay up 1:38 on the clock.

The Jackets then got five-straight points from C.J. Bird on a pair of free throws and a three-pointer to trim the lead down to a single point with 51 seconds remaining. UTD's Jalen Weber answered with a lay up as the shot clock expired to give the Comets back a three-point cushion. Bird would hit two free throws with 11 seconds left to bring the Jackets back within a point and LETU fouled Comet Curtis Allen to stop the clock after the inbounds pass.

After a miss by Allen on the front end of a one-and-one, LETU secured the rebound and drove the court for a potential game-winning shot. However, Jacket Nate West rushed a three-pointer when LETU only needed a lay up to win the game and the long shot fell short, falling into Allen's hands.

Hans Burwtiz was dominant inside for the Comets as they secured their first divisional crown since the 2012-13 campaign, finishing with a career-high 29 points and adding 11 rebounds for his ninth 'double-double' of the season. Burwitz was 13-of-20 from the field and added four assists. Weber added 23 points, hitting five three-pointers, while Dimitrius Underwood had 12 points along with seven assists, six rebounds and four steals.

Host LETU took control early in the contest, even taking an 10-1 lead after just four minutes into the game. The Comets rallied to knot the game, 17-17, with 12 minutes left before the break with an Xavier Ferrell lay up and later took their first lead of the night, 19-21, on a Burwitz jumper with 9:32 in the half. Burwitz' jumper was part of a 13-0 run to take a double-digit lead, 30-19, with just under eight to play in the half. UTD held on to a 45-39 lead heading into the locker room.

The Jackets would tie the game on four occasions in the second half but would never regain the lead.

The Comets closed the night shooting 52.1 percent (37-of-71) as a team, hitting 7-of-21 three-pointers (33.3%), and were 8-of-11 (72.7%) from the free-throw line. 

As winners of the ASC East Division, the Comets will now host the ASC Tournament, Feb. 21-23.