RICHARDSON, TX (03.07.20) - The UT Dallas men's basketball team had its season come to a close Saturday night with a 73-66 loss to Whitworth University in the second round of the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball National Championship, held at the UTD Activity Center.

The Comets wrapped up the campaign with a 23-6 overall record, topping 20 wins for the second straight season, and closed out the year with their seventh all-time trip to the national tournament. UTD opened this year's event with an 83-81 win over Centenary College Friday night.

UTD took an 8-6 lead just after the opening media timeout of the contest and would lead the Pirates until the 14:29 mark of the second half when Whitworth would trade blows until the final horn.The two squads would exchange leads over the next several minutes before the Pirates snagged the lead for good with just under five minutes to play.

Leading 37-30 at the break after shooting 56 percent (14-of-25) from the field over the opening 20 minutes, the Comets maintained their advantage until WU's Isaiah Hernandez would break a 46-46 tie with a three-pointer. UTD would remain close with the Pirates and then regain the lead, 53-51, on a Michael Forster three-pointer with 10:59 on the clock, part of a 7-0 run by the Comets. Hernandez drew the Pirates back within a single point, 55-54, on another trey with 8:03 left, but Jalen Weber answered for the Comets with a jumper on UTD's next trip down the floor, extending the home team's lead back to three.

Liam Fitzergerald then drained a three-pointer for the Pirates with 7:17 remaining to knot the game, 57-57, before teammate Ben College hit a trey to give Whitworth back a three-point cushion after a Comet turnover. UTD would then be called for offensive fouls on three of its next four possessions, limiting the Comets opportunities to regain the lead. UTD would not be able to get closer than two points over the final three minutes as the Pirates punched their tickets to the NCAA D-III "Sweet Sixteen" next weekend.

After a cold second half, the Comets finished the night shooting just 44.6 percent (25-of-56) from the field, making 8-of-20 (40%) shots from three-point range. UTD was an efficient 8-for-10 from the free-throw line. Weber led the Comets with 23 points and a game-high eight assists while Forster had 19 points, thanks to five three-pointers. Hans Burwitz closed his senior season with an American Southwest Conference-record 19 'double-doubles', scoring 11 points and grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds in the defeat.

The Comets have advanced to at least the second round of the NCAA D-III National Championship four times in program history.