BROWNWOOD, TX (01.25.20) - The UT Dallas men's basketball team led from buzzer-to-buzzer Saturday afternoon, but a spirited Howard Payne squad never let the Comets get too far ahead before succumbing 81-74 in American Southwest Conference play Saturday afternoon.

The Comets (13-5, 7-2 ASC) never let the lead get away from them after jumping out to a 7-0 start, though the Yellow Jackets (1-17, 0-9 ASC) prevented UTD Coach Terry Butterfield from getting too comfortable on his way to picking up career victory No. 499. The Comets hope to give their 20-year head coach the milestone 500th career win next Saturday afternoon with an ASC road game in Arkansas against the University of the Ozarks.

UTD, which was trying to bounce back after a heartbreaking 68-65 loss to ASC West Division leader Sul Ross State on Thursday, let HPU get closer than three points just one time before improving its season road record to 6-5. The Comets, who are chasing East Texas Baptist for first place in the ASC East Division, are undefeated at home.

The Comets utilized a distinct size advantage in shaking off the Yellow Jackets. The front line of Kelden Pruitt (20 points/10 rebounds), Hans Burwitz (17 points/13 rebounds) and Michael Forster (14 points/8 rebounds) scored 51 of UTD's 81 points, scoring a dominant 42 points in the paint. UTD also won the battle of the boards handily, 53-29, and collected 21 offensive rebounds. HPU kept the game close by nailing 12-of-31 three-point attempts. The Comets countered with eight of their own.

HPU's Jace Miguez, who led the Jackets with 20 points, cut UTD's early lead down to 14-13 with 12:16 remaining in the first half, but UTD was able to hold HPU at bay in taking a 45-37 lead at intermission. The Yellow Jackets trimmed the UTD lead down to 54-51 with a 14-9 run to open the second half, but a Forster dunk, a Jeremiah Gibson three-pointer and a Burwitz layup pulled the lead back out to 61-52 with 10:57 remaining. The lead again was cut to three (61-58) with 8:25 remaining, but layups by Pruitt and Burwitz along with four free throws sparked a 10-2 run that put the lead at 71-60.

UTD had stretched the margin to 77-65 with just over five minutes remaining before a late surge by HPU cut the lead down to six points (78-72) with :28 left. But Xavier Ferrell hit three-of-four free throws late after a key Burwitz rebound to help the Comets pull way.