>>02.26.05
Comets In ASC Title Game After Knocking Off Defending Champs
UT-Dallas 75, Sul Ross State 64

CLINTON, MS - The weekend Cinderella story continued for the University of Texas at Dallas men's basketball team Saturday afternoon as the Comets – the LAST team to qualify for the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament – knocked off defending ASC champion Sul Ross State, 75-64, in a semi-final game at Mississippi College.

UTD (14-13) will play in the first ASC basketball title game in school history Sunday afternoon when it meets host Mississippi College (19-7 and a 62-45 winner over Hardin-Simmons) for the league title, and an automatic berth in the NCAAA Division III national tournament. The tipoff is scheduled for 2 pm.

One day after knocking off the ASC West's top seed, McMurry, in the quarterfinals (73-69); the ASC East 4th-seeded Comets rolled out to a big first-half lead against SRSU and made it stand up with a continuously solid game. It was the Comets' sixth win in its last seven games and third in a row.

Martin Salinas (pictured) led five UTD starters in double figures with 16 points. Jason Malone and Kersh Milson added 14 points each, while Travis Carruthers and Eric Chatham pitched in 10 apiece. Chatham also finished with 10 rebounds to pick up the double-double as UTD poured in 19 second-chance points and out-rebounded the Loboes, 42-34.

The Comets shot 45.6 percent while connecting on just three 3-point shots; but shut down SRSU - holding the Loboes to just 39.7 percent shooting, including a 9-for-27 first half.

After giving up a pair of SRSU three-pointers right out of the gate to fall behind 6-0, the Comets ran off a string of nine straight points to go up 9-6 with 15:30 remaining in the first period. It was a lead they would never surrender.

The Loboes were able to tie the score up five times in the first half, but could not ever surpass the Comets. After SRSU knotted the score at 24-24 with 4:05 to go before intermission, UTD knocked in 11 straight points to end the half - 11 points that would prove to be the difference in the game.

In the second half, UTD stretched its lead back out - first to 15 points (48-33) with 13:50 to go; then to 17 (63-46) with 5:31 remaining in the game. In the final minute of play, the Loboes could get no closer than 10 points (72-62 with :49 left).


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