BELTON, TX (02.25.22) - The UT Dallas men's basketball team erased a 17-point halftime deficit but the Comets could not keep pace with No. 7 Mary Hardin-Baylor down the stretch in a 90-73 loss in the semifinals of the ASC Championship Tournament, held at the Mayborn Campus Center.

ASC TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

Trailing 52-35 at the break, the Comets scored the first 13 points of the second half as part of a 20-2 run, capped by two free throws by Kolton Pruitt with 13:51 left to play to give UTD its first lead of the night. The Comets were 7-for-11 from the field as team during the turnaround, forcing four Cru turnovers.

However, top-seeded UMHB corrected course midway through the second half, using a 24-5 run over a span of just under six minutes to regain control and earn its spot in Friday night's ASC title game against No. 2 seed LeTourneau.

The Comets finished the night shooting an even 50 percent (27-of-54) from the field, connecting on 10-of-25 three-pointers. James Curtis led the Comets with 17 points, hitting 7-of-10 shots with three treys, while Hunter Stevens added 14 points and a team-high five assists. Will Isaac came off the bench for 11 points and six rebounds to round out the Comets in double figures.

Despite shooting nearly 52 percent from the floor and a slight rebounding advantage in the opening half, the Comets still trailed by double digits for the majority of the first period. The Cru hit 11 three-pointers before the break, compared to two by UTD, which proved to be the difference in the half.

The Comets closed their 2021-22 season with a 16-9 overall record and placed fourth in the ASC with a 11-7 league mark. UTD opened the ASC Tournament Thursday with a 71-68 win over fifth-seeded East Texas Baptist in the quarterfinals. The Comets made their 19th consecutive appearance in the ASC Tournament and claimed their league-record 21st all-time tournament victory in the opening round.