University of Texas at Dallas Athletics

2006-07 SEASON NEWS


>>ASC ALL-CONFERENCE/ALL-DIVISION TEAMS
Salinas First-Team All-East Division;
Eppink Named Freshman of Year

RICHARDSON, TX - Senior guard Martin Salinas and freshman post Jordan Eppink highlighted four University of Texas at Dallas selections on the 2007 All-American Southwest Conference men's basketball team.

Salinas, the four-year player from Alief who became UTD's alltime leading scorer this season with 1336 career points, was a first-team All-ASC East Division selection at guard. Eppink, the 6-5 freshman from Spring, was selected the ASC East Division Freshman of the Year. Salinas led UTD with an 18.8 ppg scoring average, adding 89 three-point FG's to his school-record 183. He was a second-team All-East Division honoree last year.
Eppink was UTD's third-leading scorer at 9.5 ppg and led the Comets with 155 rebounds and a .622 shooting percentage from the floor.

Also honored from UTD was senior guard Travis Carruthers of Georgetown (pictured near right), who was UTD's second-leading scorer at 12.5 ppg, hitting 43 3-pointers and among the nation's leaders with 155 assists on the season. Carruthers was named to the ASC East Division 2nd team. Freshman Scott Rodgers of The Woodlands joined Eppink on the five-member East Division All-Freshman team. Rodgers was UTD's top player off the bench, averaging 6.8 ppg.

UTD finished the 2006-07 season with a program-best 18-8 record, but was eliminated in the first round of the ASC Championship Tournament in a one-point loss to McMurry.


>>2007 ASC CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT
Comets' Season Ends With One-Point Loss in Quarters

CLINTON, MS - The best season in UTD men's basketball history came to a heart-breaking end in the quarterfinal round of the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament when the Comets gave up a last-minute 71-70 loss to McMurry University Friday at Mississippi College's A.E. Wood Coliseum.

The Comets, who finished the season with a program-best 18-8 record, had taken a one-point lead on a gutsy, long-range 3-pointer from senior Travis Carruthers with :09 left. But McMurry's leading scorer, Alvin Stevens (19 points), took the ball the length of the court, forcing a foul and sank two free throws with :03 left to nail down the one-point win. A last-second shot from UTD's Brandon Greene was deflected by the McMurry defense, which UTD coaches felt should have resulted in a foul call for the Comets. McMurry, however, ended the Comets's season and will advance to the tournament semifinals Saturday. Ironically, UTD lost its quarterfinal game at last year's tournament on a last-second shot to Howard Payne.

UTD entered the game somewhat short-handed after starting wing Mike McKee came down with a stomach ailment before the game and did not suit up. UTD's starters all played more than their average share of game minutes. The Comets played mostly on guts, overcoming an eight-point first-half deficit and then hanging tough in a game that featured eight ties and 10 lead changes. UTD got its first lead on a 3-pointer at 16:42 from Carruthers, who ended his UTD career with an 18-point game. The Comets' other senior, all-time leading scorer Martin Salinas, came to life in the second half to finish with 14 points. Freshman Jordan Eppink was a force inside with 17 points and five rebounds. McMurry dominated the game inside, outscoring UTD 30-18 in the paint and posting a 36-32 rebounding advantage. McMurry also got 30 points from its bench players. BOXSCORE


SEASON HEADLINES...


>>02.17.07
COMETS HEADING TO FOURTH STRAIGHT ASC CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNEY

RICHARDSON, TX - The University of Texas at Dallas men's basketball team will be heading back to its fourth consecutive American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament after whipping Louisiana College, 72-57, in its final regular season game Saturday. The win gave the Comets an overall finish of 18-7, their best record in program history, but UTD will be seeded third out of the ASC East Division even though it tied with LeTourneau for second place in the division behind nationally-ranked Mississippi College. LETU held a tiebreaker advantage over UTD after splitting its series with the Comets, but pulling an upset over division leader MC earlier this month.

The Comets will face McMurry University (19-6), the No. 2 seed from the ASC West Division, in a quarterfinal matchup Friday evening at 5:00 pm. The 2007 ASC Championship Tournament is being played in the A.E. Wood Coliseum on the Mississippi College campus. The Coliseum is the same place the Comets put together three upset wins two years ago to claim the 2005 ASC Championship. UTD was knocked out on a last-second shot last year in the opening round by Howard Payne University. To advance to the semi-final round this year, UTD will have to avenge an 81-57 loss to McMurry earlier this season, which was undoubtedly one of the Comets' poorest-played games of the season. UTD, which started the season with 11 straight wins, is also finishing strong, winning seven of its last nine games. McMurry earned the West Division's No. 2 seed by knocking off division leader University of Mary Hardin-Baylor last weekend.

Other quarterfinal matchups include Louisiana College (8-16) against UMHB (21-4) at 12 pm Friday, followed by Hardin-Simmons (14-11) against LeTourneau (15-9) at 2 pm. After UTD and McMurry square off, the host Mississippi College team (ranked No. 7 nationally with a 22-2 record) will meet Concordia-Austin (10-15) at 7 pm. UTD holds wins this season over all the tournament participants except Mississippi College, McMurry and Hardin-Simmons.


>>02.17.07
UTD FINISHES REGULAR SEASON WITH WIN OVER LOUISIANA COLLEGE

RICHARDSON, TX - UTD finished off its 2006-07 regular season with a school record 18th win, overpowering Louisiana College in the second half on its way to 72-57 win. The Comets hit 15 of 22 second-half shots (68.2 percent shooting), including 5-of-8 three-point shooting, and outscored the Wildcats, 37-21, after intermission. LC raced out to a 25-17 lead early, but the Comets came back on the strength of seven three-pointers to pull to within 36-35 at the half. UTD then tied the score at 42-42 with 15:40 remaining and followed that with an 11-0 run to put all the distance it needed between the two teams. The Wildcats came back to cut the lead down to four (53-49) with 6:41 remaining, but UTD finished LC off with a 19-8 run at the end. Martin Salinas had 24 points to lead the Comets along with nine rebounds. Travis Carruthers added 16 points. Freshman Jordan Eppink finished with 10 points and nine rebounds. BOXSCORE


>>02.15.07
UTD COMES UP ONE SHOT SHORT OF UPSETTING MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE

RICHARDSON, TX - The University of Texas at Dallas men's basketball team didn't miss many shots in the second half of their Thursday night upset bid over Mississippi College, the nation's 7th-ranked team; but the Comets wished they could have the one they missed with :16 remaining over again as MC held on for a 70-67 American Southwest Conference win.

With just :20 seconds left and trailing by a single point, the Comets got a critical rebound from freshman Jordan Eppink and went to the other end of the floor for a potential game-winning basket. But senior Martin Salinas' three-point attempt from the corner would not fall and the Choctaws' 6-8 Ryan Hudson grabbed the miscue, then sank two free throws to ice the win in the game's final seconds. A desperation Travis Carruthers 3-point attempt to tie at the buzzer rattled off the iron. The Comets (17-7, 12-7) certainly had their chances to knock off the ASC East Division-leading and defending ASC Champion Choctaws (21-2, 18-1), who have been ranked as high as No. 4 in the national polls this season. After falling behind by as many as 11 in the second period (46-35 with 15:57 left), the Comets caught fire and eventually took their only lead of the second half at 66-64 (3:02) on a three-point shot from freshman Brandon Greene, who scored 13 points off the bench. However, MC was able to tie the score, then go back ahead after UTD turned the ball over, then sent the Choctaws to the free-throw line for the game-winning points. Up by a point inside the final minute, MC also missed a couple of chances to extend its lead before Eppink pulled down the crucial rebound.

The Comets made their run with a barage of nine 3-pointers, including four from Salinas, who led the Comets with 15 points. After shooting just 38.1 percent in the first half, UTD was 12-of-20 from the field in the second half and 5-of-10 from beyond the arch. Carruthers finished with 14 points while Eppink added 11. UTD's comeback was remarkable against the deep, talented and taller Choctaws, who shot a constant 53.1% for the game and probably won the game at the line, where MC sank 20-of-23 free-throw opportunities. UTD, conversely, was just 18-of-26 at the line. MC head coach Mike Jones got the crowd excited early when he was tagged with a pair of back-to-back technical fouls for arguing with the referees and ejected from the game.


>>02.10.07
LETU PUTS HITCH IN SECOND-SEED HOPES

MARSHALL/LONGVIEW, TX - The University of Texas at Dallas men's basketball team missed out on a chance to take firm control of its battle with LeTourneau University for the potential second seed at the the upcoming American Southwest Conference Saturday afternoon, falling in shootout, 58-54. The loss, which dropped UTD's lead over LETU in the standings to just a half game, came two days after the Comets avenged an earlier season loss to East Texas Baptist, 85-76.

UTD finished the week with a 17-6 overall record, and 12-6 mark in ASC play with two regular season games left. LETU is 12-7 in conference with just one game left. The difference comes in the opposition. UTD has a pair of home games against nationally-ranked Mississippi College and a Louisiana College team that beat them earlier this season. LETU, which would hold a tiebreaker advantage over the Comets after upsetting MC a couple of weeks ago, plays next Saturday against fifth-place University of the Ozarks. With a win over Ozarks, LETU would advance to the ASC Tournament as the East Division's second seed unless UTD could sweep their last two home games.

UTD 85, EAST TEXAS BAPTIST 76

The Comets used another big finish Thursday night to win its sixth straight game Thursday night, avenging an earlier loss with an 85-76 win over East Texas Baptist University. Martin Salinas

kept the Comets in the game during a slow first half with four three-point shots, then erupted for three more in the second period as UTD raced back from a 41-34 deficit and outscored ETBU, 51-35, after intermission. In the second period, the Comets shot a scorching 51.5 percent from the field. After taking a 49-47 lead on a Salinas three with 13:36 remaining, UTD stretched out its lead to the winning margin by going on a 10-1 run that gave them a 59-48 lead with 11:24 left. The Comets gave ETBU a chance to get back in it at the free-throw line, giving up 27 free throw opportunities as a result of 24 personal fouls, but the Tigers only connected on 11 of them. ETBU also was forced into 18 turnovers.

LeTOURNEAU 58, UTD 54

The battle for second place was actually a pair of two drastically different halves. UTD won a defensive struggle in the first half, 23-17, despite shooting just 36.4 percent from the field. But in a runaway second period, the Comets couldn't stop the YellowJackets at all as LETU raced away with a 41-31 advantage, shooting almost 60 percent from the floor. The two teams exchanged runs in the second half that made the game close. UTD's 23-17 halftime lead turned into a 25-25 tie with an 8-2 LETU run in the first 1:38 of the half. The Comets then answered with a 13-4 run to go up 38-29 with 13:12 remaining. But the YellowJackets responded with an 11-2 run of their own to make it 40-40 with 9:08 remaining. The game then remaining close the rest of the way with Salinas pulling the Comets to within a point (53-52) with :39 left. But LETU came up with a pair of key offensive rebounds following missed free throws in the game's final seconds as UTD had to foul, and score its final five points at the line. Mike McKee paced UTD with a 22-point outing, but Salinas was held to just 10 points.


>>02.05.07
COMETS CLINCH PLAYOFF BID WITH WIN

TYLER, TX - After a slow start Monday night, the UTD men's basketball team came to life in the second half to claim a 60-47 win over UT-Tyler and clinch their fourth-straight post-season playoff berth into the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament. The win also improved UTD's season record to 16-5, the first time a Comet team has won more than 15 games in the nine-year history of the program. UTD also improved its ASC East Division record to 11-5, giving the Comets a five-game lead on the nearest challenger for one of the division's top four seeds leading into the post-season. UTD, which has only four regular season games left, can finish no lower than fourth.

The Comets started Monday's game looking like a team might not take care of business. Shooting just 30 percent in the first half, UTD trailed much of the first period and were down 27-26 at intermission. After the tight affair continued for the first three minutes of the second half, a Martin Salinas three-pointer gave the Comets their first lead of the second half (33-32) - a lead they would not surrender as UTD finished off a 22-7 run to take a 50-39 lead with 5:36 remaining. Salinas hit just 6-of-13 shots, but all six were three-pointers and he finished with a team-high 18 points. Scott Rodgers finished with 11 points off the bench. Defensively, UTD came up with 13 steals and 20 turnovers, scoring 23 points off the Patriot mistakes. The Comet bench also outscored UTT, 19-2.


>>02.01.07
UTD RUNS AWAY FROM OZARKS AGAIN

RICHARDSON, TX - The UTD men's basketball team kept the heat on the University of the Ozarks, and the rest of the challengers in the American Southwest Conference East Division Thursday night with a one-sided 76-56 win over the Eagles that probably wasn't that close. The Comets (15-5, 10-5 after their fourth straight win) shot over 60 percent for much of the game, which UTD led by as many as 30 points after jumping out to an early lead. Martin Salinas hit three of UTD's eight three-point baskets in the game and led 11 different players in the scorebook with 16 points. Only Mike McKee, who had 13 in just 18 minutes of action, also finished in double figures.

The win kept the Comets just a half game ahead of LeTourneau in the ASC East Division race after LETU upset division leader Mississippi College Thursday night, 66-64, to improve to 10-6. UTD will meet LETU on the road next weekend in Longview. The win also tied UTD's season-best mark of 15 wins. That means the Comets are on the verge of posting their best finish in program history, needing just one more win in their remaining five regular season games to set the mark. UTD finished 15-11 in 2003-04, and 15-14 the following season.

The Comets came out smoking in this game against Ozarks, their second meeting in the last week. (UTD won the first meeting 78-64.) UTD hit 16 of 25 first-half shots (64.0 percent) while holding Ozarks to just 39.3 percent in the first half, and led 40-22 at intermission. After the Eagles made a brief run to open the second period, the Comets caught fire again and led by 30 points (73-43) with 3:54 remaining, when both coaches emptied their benches. The Comets won the battle of the boards, 38-30.


>>01.25.07
COMETS KEEP STREAK ALIVE AT OZARKS

CLARKSVILLE, AR - The UTD men's basketball team kept its latest streak alive, winning its third consecutive American Southwest Conference game in a 78-64 road win over the University of the Ozarks. The Comets played a solid game throughout, with five different players finishing in double figures, led by freshman Scott Rodgers' 18-point night of the bench. The win solidified UTD's position as the second-place team in the ASC Eastern Division standings as the Comets improved to 14-5 overall and 9-5 in conference play with just six regular season games left.

Ozarks (5-12, 4-9) kept things close in a nip-and-tuck first half, but UTD hit five of its last six shots from the floor before intermission to take a 38-31 lead at halftime. UTD hit 15 of 28 shots in the first half (53.8 percent), including six three pointers to build the lead. The Comets continued their steady attack in the second period, never allowing Ozarks any closer than five points (58-53 with 7:01 remaining). UTD finished the game shooting 51.0 percent from the field. It was the free throw line, however, where the Comets locked down the victory. UTD hit 18 of 21 shots from the foul stripe, including eight consecutive freebies in the game's final minute. The Comet defense also came up with seven steals in the game, turning those into 15 points. In addition to Rodgers' 18-point night, the Comets got double-figure scoring out of Mike McKee (15 points), Travis Carruthers (14 points, 5 assists), Martin Salinas (12 points, 3 three-pointers) and Jordan Eppink (10 points, 2 blocks). BOXSCORE


>>01.22.07
UTD SNAPS SKID WITH TWO BIG WINS AT HOME

RICHARDSON, TX - The UTD men's basketball team is back on the right kind of streak. After seeing its season-opening 11-game win streak halted by five straight losses (including their first home loss of the year in an 81-77 defeat at the hands of East Texas Baptist Thursday night), the Comets turned up the heat and put together back-to-back American Southwest Conference East Division wins over LeTourneau Saturday, and UT-Tyler Monday night. The Comets used pressure defense to hold the second-place LETU Yellowjackets to just 40 points in a 54-40 win Saturday to halt the slide; then rolled out an offense that shot over 60 percent for most of the game in steamrolling last-place UT-Tyler, 77-52, on Monday. Senior guard Travis Carruthers was the constant in all three games, topping the Comets with 27 points against ETBU, 18 more against LeTourneau, and 13 despite only playing 25 minutes against UT-Tyler. UTD improved to 13-5 overall with the wins, and moved into a tie for second place in the ASC East Division (with LETU) with an 8-5 mark with just seven regular season games remaining.

UTD 77, UT-TYLER 52

The 25-point win against the last-place Patriots could probably have been worse as Coach Terry Butterfield emptied his bench with 10 minutes left and a lead that was approaching 30 points. The Comets raced out to a 45-24 halftime advantage behind a 76 percent (19-of-25) shooting performance in the first half. UTD got four starters into double figures, with Carrruthers and Mike McKee netting 13 while Martin Salinas and Ernie Lowery added 12 each.

UTD 54, LeTOURNEAU 40

The Comets finally broke out of their five-game skid Saturday with an impressive defensive effort, holding second-place LeTourneau to just 33 percent shooting and 40 points in a 54-40 win. UTD put the game away in the second half, outscoring LETU 29-18. Carruthers had 18 points, scoring nine from the free throw line, hitting a number of clutch shots late in the game as the Comets pulled away.

EAST TEXAS BAPTIST 81, UTD 78

The frustrations of the Comets' mid-season losing streak came to a head as 4-13 East Texas Baptist shot lights out (53.6 percent) and held on for an 81-78 win over UTD. The Comets let an eight-point (60-52) lead midway through the second half slip away as ETBU went on a 13-0 run and took the lead. UTD tied the game up at 72-72 with 2:05 remaining, but the Tigers scored the next five points and the Comets missed a chance at a game-tying three-pointer with :02 remaining. Carruthers finished with 27 points while Salinas hit 26. ETBU countered with an aerial attack that included 11 three-pointers, including seven from transfer Josh Hickman.


>>01.13.07
COMETS FALL IN MISSISSIPPI, LOUISIANA

CLINTON, MS/PINEVILLE, LA - The UTD men's basketball team, which just two weeks ago was undefeated and ranked No. 22 in the nation, continued suffering through a streak of a different kind, dropping road games at both No. 9 Mississippi College and Louisiana College. The Comets could place much of the blame for the 66-54 loss to Mississippi and 64-42 defeat at the hands of Louisiana College to a suddenly anemic offense. UTD, which shot just 35 percent from the field in the two games, fell to 11-4 overall and, more importantly, 6-4 in the American Southwest Conference race. Martin Salinas was the only Comet to score in double figures in both games, but he just barely accomplished that with an 11-point showing at LC Saturday after putting up 17 against MC.

MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE 66, UTD 54

To be fair, the Comets were probably not supposed to be competitive against Mississippi College, which entered the game with a No. 9 national ranking and an 11-1 record. But UTD started strong, jumping out to a 24-18 lead early and trailed by just 27-25 at halftime. But the Choctaws went on a 13-4 run to begin the second half and led 40-29 with 15:49 remaining. UTD did manage to cut the margin to 48-44 with 9:31 left, but that was as close as they could get, as MC finished the game strong.

LOUISIANA COLLEGE 64, UTD 42

The Comets Saturday ran into the devistating combination of playing their poorest offensive game of the season (42 points) against an LC team that seemingly could not miss from the outside. Louisiana College hit 10 three-pointers, including three quick ones right out of the gate to take a 13-0 lead before UTD even got on the board about five minutes into the game. At halftime, the Wildcats had hit eight long-range bombs and had a 36-25 lead. UTD tried to rebound in the second period, but could not get close as the Comets hit just 6 of 21 shots from the field, finishing with a .357 shooting percentage.


>>01.08.07
WIN STREAK ENDS WITH ROAD LOSSES IN ABILENE

ABILENE, TX - The UTD men's basketball team saw its season-beginning 11-game win streak come a crashing halt over the weekend as American Southwest Conference West Division-leading Hardin-Simmons and perrenial power McMurry both ran away from the suddenly cold Comets in a pair of conference losses. UTD got outgunned by HSU, 81-57, Thursday night; then blistered by McMurry, 81-57, Saturday afternoon. The losses dropped the Comets to 11-2 overall, but (more importantly) 6-2 in conference.

HARDIN-SIMMONS 75, UTD 56

In a battle of ASC division leaders, the Comets could not keep up with the hot-shooting West-leading HSU Cowboys, falling for the first time this season, 75-56. UTD had entered the game ranked No. 22 in a national poll and fresh off a 78-76 upset of Division I UT-Arlington, but the Comets could not overcome an HSU team that shot over 60 percent from the field for much of the game while limiting UTD to a season-worst 38.0% (19-of-50) performance. To make matters worse, UTD saved its poorest performance for the second half after pulling to within five (31-26) at halftime. UTD opened the half by going nearly 5:25 between field goals and found itself down, 51-38 with 10:20 remaining. Junior Mike McKee spearheaded a bit of run that cut the margin down to single digits (56-49) with 6:21 left. But HSU (5-6, 5-2) went on 19-7 run to close out the game, holding the Comets to just eight second-half baskets from the floor, three of those 3-pointers. McKee led UTD with 15 points while Martin Salinas finished with 11, but just two points in the second half.

McMURRY 81, UTD 57

UTD's woes continued on Saturday as McMurry held the Comets to just 38.8 percent shooting in an 81-57 runaway win. The Comets had trimmed McMurry's lead to just five points (50-45) on a McKee bucket with 12:24 left, but McMurry went on a 16-6 run in a six-minute period, picking up several fast break buckets after steals and UTD turnovers, leaving the Comets behind. UTD again struggled on the defensive end, as well, allowing McMurry to finish the game shooting 50 percent. McMurry dominated the game inside, scoring 26 points in the pain and outrebounding the Comets, 41-25. McMurry also picked up 23 points at the free throw line, thanks to 18 Comet fouls. UTD got 13 points out of Martin Salinas, but just three of those came in the second half.


>>01.02.07
RODGERS NAMED ASC EAST DIVISION PLAYER OF WEEK

RICHARDSON, TX - Freshman Scott Rodgers from The Woodlands, Texas, was named the co-winner of the American Southwest Conference East Division Player of the Week award for his role in unbeaten UTD's upset win over Division I UT-Arlington on Saturday. Rodgers came off the bench to score 11 of his team-high 19 points in the second half as UTD (11-0) stayed close and then eventually overcame a 14-point deficit on its way to the 78-76 win. Rodgers hit 8-of-10 shots from the floor, including two clutch three-pointers in the second-half rally as UTD became the first Division III team in the nation to pull off a win over a Division I team this season, and the first ASC team to accomplish the feat since McMurry defeated UTA in 1998. He also had two rebounds and two assists in the game.


>>12.30.06
COMETS GRAB NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT BY UPSETTING DIV. I UT-ARLINGTON

ARLINGTON, TX - It's going to be hard now for anyone to say the unbeaten start to the 2006-07 University of Texas at Dallas men's basketball season has just been "good fortune." The Comets overcame perhaps the biggest obstacle in their early-season schedule Saturday, rallying from 14 points down to knock off NCAA Division I UT-Arlington, 78-76, and improve to 11-0. The Comets became the first Division III team to defeat a Division I opponent this season, and the first American Southwest Conference team to accomplish the feat since McMurry also defeated UTA back in 1998. The win and 11-0 start propelled the Comets into the national Divison III poll for the first time in program history. UTD is ranked No. 22 in the national poll, hosted by the d3hoops.com website.

Freshman Scott Rodgers took up the slack when leading scorer Martin Salinas was shut down defensively after halftime and matched his senior teammate with 19 points to lead the Comets. UTD, which trailed the Mavericks (4-7) by 14 (66-52) with 8:18 remaining, finished the game on a 26-10 run and used shut-down defense to limit UTA to just a pair of three-pointers and two free throws in the game's final five minutes.

Down 71-59 with just 5:03 remaining, reserve freshman Brandon Greene spearheaded the rally with a three-pointer that cut the lead to single digits. Sophomore Ernie Lowery then returned to the floor and cut the lead to six (71-65) when he blocked a shot and raced the length of the court for a layup. With 2:20 remaining, it was Lowery who again got loose for a backdoor layup, cutting UTA's lead to 74-69. After Salinas and guard Travis Carruthers came up with steals that led to points, Lowery again came up with a layup and foul shot off a long Carruthers' pass to give UTD a 75-74 lead with 1:06 remaining. UTA's Cardell Hunter put the Mavs back in front (76-75) with a pair of free throws with :55 left, but Greene answered with an inside basket off a Carruthers inbound pass to give UTD the lead it would not surrender with :39 left.

Freshman Jordan Eppink, who battled the entire game against the bigger and stronger Division I post players, sank a free throw with :18 left to score UTD's final point. Eppink had a chance to stretch out the margin with :07 remaining, but missed both free throws. UTA's Roger Guignard missed on his attempt to send the game into overtime with a 10-foot jumper with :01 left. UTD served notice early to the Division I Mavericks, who had already played games with the University of Oklahoma and were preparing for a game next week with the University of Texas. The Comets jumped out to their first lead of the game (11-9) with 15:32 to go in the first half when Salinas hit the first of four three-pointers. UTD stretched its early advantage to as many as seven points (21-14) and held the lead for 9:32 of the first half. The Mavericks rallied to tie the first-half score at 28-28 with 7:20 remaining and had a 35-30 lead with 4:26 left. But UTA did not score the rest of the half as the Comets chipped back and were down by just one (35-34) at intermission.

After Salinas opened the second period with a followup basket to put UTD ahead, 36-35, the Mavs went on a 10-0 run off steals and layups to go up 45-36 just four minutes in. Rodgers then stepped up and scored nine of his 19 points over a four-minute stretch to pull UTD back to within six at 55-49 with 11:27 left. In addition to Rodgers and Salinas, UTD got strong scoring performances from Eppink (9 pts, 9 rebounds), Lowery (9 points, 6 rebounds), and Greene (9 points). UTA's dominant big men led to a 53.7 percent shooting day and 41-35 rebounding advantage, but the Comets forced 17 turnovers and were credited with four steals and two blocks.


>>12.18.06
UTD SOARS TO BREAK AT 10-0 WIN WINS OVER ASC WEST POWERS

RICHARDSON, TX - The UTD men's basketball team showed its 10-0 start to the season was no fluke as the Comets knocked off both Sul Ross and Howard Payne Universities, two of the American Southwest Conference West Division's top teams from 2006. UTD ran past Sul Ross, 81-66, Saturday; then avenged their first-round ASC Championship Tournament loss to Howard Payne last season with a convincing 85-71 win on Monday. The two conference wins improved UTD's overall record to 10-0, and ASC conference mark to 6-0 entering the holiday break. The Comets again overwhelmed the opposition in both games with a variety of weapons as six different players had double-figure scoring nights. UTD also put on spectacular second-half performances in both games, shooting a combined 34-for-52 (.653) from the field to pull away late. Leading scorer Martin Salinas combined for 44 points on the weekend.

UTD 81, SUL ROSS 66

The Comet put on an impressive display against Sul Ross to post their ninth straight win, 81-66. The Lobos (3-4, 3-2) were an ASC tournament qualifier last season and are among the traditional powers in the ASC West Division. The Comets came out smoking in this game, hitting six of their first eight shots from the field and running out to an early 11-4 lead. But the Lobos fought back back nailing eight first-half three-pointers. SRSU eventually tied the score at 25-25 with 7:13 left in the first half, then lead briefly before UTD worked back to a one-point, 40-39, halftime lead. SRSU stayed close early in the second half, closing to 49-48 with 15:04. But UTD shot 62.5 percent (15-of-24) from the field in the second period and slowly moved out to the 15-point win. The Comets had 11 three-pointers in the game, including seven from Salinas. SRSU finished with 11, but only three in the second half. Ernie Lowery and Jordan Eppink combined for 28 points.

UTD 85, HOWARD PAYNE 71

UTD faced probably its biggest challenge of the season Monday as the suddenly rejuvinated Howard Payne YellowJackets came to town off a big road win at UT-Tyler and ran out to a 37-30 first-half lead on the Comets. UTD, which had shot just 35.5 percent in the first half, came out gunning in the second period and put up 55 points in the half on its way to the 14-point win. Meanwhile, the Comet defense clamped down and gave up just 34 points, holding HPU gunner Kendrick Johnson (24 points) just six points after the half. HPU nailed 10 three-pointers to keep thing interesting, but UTD answered with nine of its own, including four from Travis Carruthers (who finished with a team-high 24 points). Mike McKee (15) and Scott Rodgers (10) also finished with double-figure scoring nights.


>>12.13.06
COMETS HOLD OFF AUSTIN COLLEGE

RICHARDSON, TX - UTD leading scorer Martin Salinas had his lowest offensive output of the season Wednesday night - as did the rest of the Comets - but UTD was able to pick up its 8th straight win by holding off Austin College, 61-52, in a non-conference matchup. Salinas hit just 4-of-10 shots and the Comets (8-0) were a disappointing 24-for-53 from the field, but came up with enough second-half scoring and clamp-down defense to hold on for the win and hand AC (2-5) its fifth loss of the season.

Salinas was just 2-for-8 from beyond the three-point arch; but AC took advantage of its long-range shooting in the first half to close the early gap to just five points (34-29) at halftime. In the second half, though, the 'Roos were able to connect on just two more three-pointers and could not get any closer than five points late. UTD used a late run in the final minutes to prevent any further AC rally. Besides Salinas, freshman Jordan Eppink got 12 points, mostly in the second half. Senior guard Travis Carruthers had 11 points and dished out six assists. Freshman Scott Rodgers had nine points off the bench. Ernie Lowery scored just three points, but pulled down a team-best seven rebounds.


>>12.11.06
SALINAS PLAYER OF WEEK AGAIN

RICHARDSON, TX - UTD senior guard Martin Salinas has been named as the American Southwest Conference East Division Player of the Week for the second time this season after a big offensive showing in a pair of conference games last week. Salinas, a senior from Alief Hastings HS, scored a combined 57 points - including a season-best 38 against Concordia-Austin, in the two wins. Additionally, Salinas pulled down 11 rebounds, including nine in the 118-112 double-overtime win over CUA. He had 19 points and two rebounds in a 78-70 win over the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor earlier in the week. Salinas improved his per-game scoring average to 26.6 points per game, and continues to be among the ASC leaders in that statistical cateogory.


>>12.09.06
UTD GOES TO 2OT TO DEFEAT CONCORDIA

AUSTIN, TX - Martin Salinas poured in a season-high 38 points, and the UTD men's basketball team needed every bit of it as the Comets improved to 7-0 by holding off Concordia-Austin for a 118-112 double-overtime, American Southwest Conference victory Saturday afternoon. Salinas also pulled down nine rebounds while freshman Jordan Eppink scored a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Mike McKee had an 11-point, nine-rebound efffort; and Travis Carruthers pitched in 14 points. The win also posted UTD to a 4-0 start in ASC play. The 7-0 start to the season is UTD's best in program history.

After starting most of their games this season quickly, the Comets struggled out of the gate Saturday. The Tornadoes were up 27-16 10:08 into the game, but UTD stormed back with a 21-6 run over the next seven minutes to take a 37-33 lead. UTD was up, 44-39, at the half. The Comets continued to apply the pressure early in the second half, and hada 64-49 lead with 13:07 remaining after freshman Scott Rodgers was fouled on a layup and sank the extra free throw. But Concordia, which hit 13 three-pointers in the game, was able to get back in the game with a barrage from beyond the arch. With 4:13 left, UTD's lead had shrunk to 87-73 and the Tornadoes eventually tied the game at 93-93 before the end of regulation. Eppink hit an inside bucket to tie the game at 103-103 near the end of the first overtime period and McKee missed on a last-second three. But in the second extra frame, the Comets jumped out with a 10-2 run and were up 113-105 with just 1:42 left on the clock. Again, CUA used a three-pointer to cut the lead down to 116-112 with :10 left; but Salinas iced the game with a pair of free throws in the final seconds.


>>12.05.06
COMETS' STREAK CONTINUES WITH 6TH WIN

BELTON, TX - With another fast start, the UTD men's basketball team won its sixth straight game to open the 2006-07 season, holding off the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor for a 78-70 American Southwest Conference win Tuesday night. The Comets, who – at 6-0, 3-0 – are off to their best start in program history, shot over 62 percent from the field in the first half and built up a 43-27 halftime lead. UTD hit its first seven shots and were up by as many as 17 points early before finishing the first half with a 43-27 lead. The Comets hit over 62 percent from the field before intermission and were 6-of-9 from three-point range.


After halftime, however, the taller Crusaders (3-2, 2-2) fought their way back into the game, going inside to 6-10 center Ryan Burgart and 6-8 Matt Dickey, who combined for 30 points. Burgart posted a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds as UMHB got the best of UTD on the boards, 40-31.

With 11:01 remaining in the game, the Crusaders had gone on a 18-9 run to close to within seven (52-45). The Comets answered when freshman Scott Rodgers scored seven of his 12 points in a five-minute stretch; and Martin Salinas (19 pts) and Travis Carruthers (16 pts) nailed three-pointers to put the Comets up 70-53 with just 5:12 left. UMHB made one last run to cut the score to 75-68 with just :46 left, but UTD got the late free throws to hold off the rally.


>>11.26.06
UTD OFF TO BEST START IN HISTORY

RICHARDSON, TX - The UTD men's basketball team improved to 5-0 on the season – its best start since 2002, and the most wins to open a season in program history – with a pair of American Southwest Conference wins over the weekend. UTD (5-0, 2-0) held off Schreiner University in its conference opener Saturday, 103-95; then took a late charge from Texas Lutheran University on Sunday before pulling away for an 82-66 win. Senior guard Travis Carruthers combined for 42 points in the two games, including a team-high 19 against TLU. He scored 23 against Schreiner, including 15 free throws and was a clutch 11-for-11 from the charity stripe during the waining moments of a close game.

UTD 103, SCHREINER 95

Freshman center Jordan Eppink scored a season-best 30 points from the paint and pulled down 12 rebounds in his UTD home debut. But more importantly, senior guard Travis Carruthers added 22 points (including 11 straight free throws during the game's final minutes) to secure a 105-93 win over Schreiner (0-4, 0-1) Saturday afternoon. The Comets followed a familiar script, jumping out to a big early lead and then having to hold off the athletic Mountaineers, who shot over 63 percent from the field in the second half. UTD built a 52-35 halftime lead behind 18 points from Martin Salinas. But Salinas couldn't find the net in the second half and ended up with just 20 points.

UTD 82, TEXAS LUTHERAN 66

For the second straight day, the Comets had to hold off a late charge as Texas Lutheran battled back to within five points of UTD (61-56) with 6:24 remaining. UTD, which had inched away to a 43-32 halftime advantage, stretched their lead out to 54-39 with 12:06 to go in the game. But the Bulldogs (who were coming off a Saturday win over UT-Tyler) would not go away and put together a 17-7 run to close the gap with plenty of time to go. That's when the UTD defense clamped down, allowing just 10 TLU points the rest of the game while Carruthers and Mike McKee took care of business at the free throw line to close out the win. For the game, UTD hit 24 of 29 at the line while TLU got just nine points at the stripe. Carruthers was followed closely in the scoring column by Martin Salinas, who had 18 in spite of a 6-for-13 shooting day. Eppink picked up his second straight double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. McKee finished with 12 .


>>11.21.06
UTD IMPROVES TO 3-0 WITH WIN AT SWAGU

WAXAHACHIE, TX - The UTD men's basketball team picked up its third straight win to open the 2006-07 season Tuesday night by racing out to an early lead and holding off Southwest Assemblies of God University, 81-70. Senior guard Martin Salinas, who scored a combined 58 points in UTD's first two wins of the season, added 31 points to his totals against the Lions (2-4). Junior Mike McKee and freshman Jordan Eppink each added 14 while Ernie Lowery finished with nine rebounds . The Comets jumped out to a 12-2 lead in the first three minutes of the game, but saw the Lions chip away and pull to within 16-12 in the next three minutes. The Comets, however, responded with another flurry of scoring (hitting .471 from the floor in the first period) and wer up 45-32 at intermission. In the second half, SWAGU got back to within eight points early, then clawed back to within six (67-61) with just six minutes left. UTD has not started a season at 3-0 since 2001. BOXSCORE


>>11.20.06
SALINAS WINS ASC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

RICHARDSON, TX - UTD senior guard Martin Salinas has been named as the American Southwest Conference East Division Player of the Week for his play in his team's first two outings of the season. Salinas, a senior from Alief Hastings HS, scored a combined 58 points – 34 against Austin College and 24 on University of Dallas – at the Austin College Tournament in Sherman, Texas, to lead the Comets to a 2-0 start for the season. Salinas went 8-for-8 from the free throw line and had nine steals. He shot .512 from the floor to ignite UTD’s fastest start in five seasons.


>>11.18.06
COMETS COME OUT SMOKIN' AT AC TOURNEY

SHERMAN, TX - The University of Texas at Dallas men's basketball team raced off to a hot 2-0 start this weekend with a pair of one-sided wins at the Bob Mason Classic, hosted by Austin College. Senior Martin Salinas opened the season pouring in 58 points as UTD whipped the University of Dallas, 90-56, Friday night; then dominated the host Kangaroos, 83-64, Saturday.

Salinas led the Comets (2-0) with 24 points against UD, hitting 9-of-18 from the floor. Ernie Lowery added 13 points and Mike McKee had 12 as the Comets shot .476 for the game. UTD raced to a big 40-22 first-half lead, then put the game away with a 16-point, 50-34 advantage in the second period. UTD was also dominant defensively, allowing the Crusaders to shoot just 397.7% (20-53). Salinas then did elevated his game up another notch on Saturday against Austin College (1-1), scoring 34 of the Comets' 83 points. Again, he hit over 50 percent, connecting on 13-of-25 from the floor and ended the night as UTD's only player in double figures. The Comets did, however, get scoring from 10 players, racing out to a 41-28 halftime lead and holding AC to just 39.3% (20-51) from the field.

For the weekend, Lowery finished with 21 points. Strangely enough, Salinas (the all-time leading three-point shooter in UTD history) scored just 18 of his points from beyond the arch; but picked up several others on layups following a nine-steal performance against Austin College.


>>11.15.06
LOCAL CABLE COMPANY TO TELEVISE SELECTED UTD GAMES THIS SEASON

DALLAS, TX - The Metro Sports Group of Time Warner Cable has announced that it will produce television broadcasts of six upcoming University ofTexas at Dallas basketball games over the next month. Time Warner Cable is planning telecasts of both UTD's men's and women's games against East Texas Baptist (Jan. 18), University of the Ozarks (Feb. 1) and Mississippi College (Feb. 15). The games will be tape-delayed broadcast over Time Warner's Metro Sports Channel (960) to Time Warner customers throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area over the weekend immediately following the games, then available for several months longer through Time Warner Cable's Video-On-Demand system. Time Warner Cable is producing these broadcasts at no cost to the University as part of their commitment to the communities they serve. The local Metro Sports group, which also does broadcasts of high school sporting events, is one of only a handful of such groups operating for Time Warner Cable within the United States. Time Warner Cable Metro Sports will staff each game with four camera operators, two broadcasters and several technical personnel. TW officials are hoping to expand their offerings in the future to include other UTD sports such as volleyball, baseball and softball.


>>PRE-SEASON PREVIEW
Comets Have Questions To Answer In 2006-07

RICHARDSON, TX - University of Texas at Dallas men's basketball coach Terry Butterfield can't figure out why the rest of the American Southwest Conference East Division coaches voted his team to finish second in the 2006-07 divisional race. "Maybe they know something I don't know,” says Butterfield, who will field a team this fall that is full of question marks after graduating three starters and a several key reserves from his 2005-06 team that finished 11-15 (11-11 in ASC) and reached the ASC Tournament for the third straight year.


• How will senior Martin Salinas (846 career points, school record 183 three-pointers) respond to being the team's top scoring option?

• What will the Comets do for an inside game with freshmen manning the top three spots on the depth chart at center?

• Can athletic junior Mike McKee (only 4.3 ppg in 2005-06) finally reach his potential as a scoring threat, and provide the Comets with some help with rebounding and defense while learning a new position at wing?

• Which new players will emerge as the team's best options off the bench?


If Butterfield knew the answers to those questions - and was confident the answers were all going to be positive in nature - he might have a better idea of what to expect this season. "But to tell you the truth, I just don't know,” he says. "We're very young and very inexperienced,” Butterfield sums up the challenge. "I don't think anyone really knows what we are capable of yet...including me. We have not seen a lot of these guys yet in battle. So, it's going to be wait and see on who steps forward."

What he does know is that he has two very experienced starters returning at the top of the lineup in Salinas and guard Travis Carruthers, who was one of the national leaders last season with 159 assists in 26 games. Add McKee to the mix and, “we've got a solid nucleus there of guys who have played together and are leaders on this team. We're counting on them to set the pace,” Butterfield says. Butterfield also has high hopes for three freshmen from the Houston area – 6-5 center Jordan Eppink from Spring, who was one of the Houston area's top players last season; 6-1 guard Scott Rodgers from The Woodlands; and 6-1 wing Brandon Green from Houston's Westbury Christian. Returner Ernie Lowery, who was injured part of last season, has shown flashes of making a bigger contribution this season.


>>COMETS TABBED 2ND IN PRE-SEASON POLL

RICHARDSON, TX - The UTD men's basketball team garnered two first-place votes as the second-place team selected in the American Southwest Conference East Division pre-season poll. The Comets, who finished 11-15 last season, were selected to finish behind defending ASC champion Mississippi College, which was the runaway choice for winning the division in 2006-07. The poll was voted on by ASC East Division coaches, sports information directors and media representatives.

UTD finished with 80 points, 37 points behind the favored Choctaws. The voters selected the rest of the division to finish as follows: Ozarks (74 pts), East Texas Baptist (73), Texas-Tyler (62), LeTourneau (39) and Louisiana College (31). In the West Division, the predicted order of finish was Hardin-Simmons (135), Howard Payne (125), Mary Hardin-Baylor (123), McMurry (107), Concordia-Austin (76), Sul Ross State (63), Texas Lutheran (58) and Schreiner (33).