>>02.02.06
Comets Hold Off Late Rally From
UT-Tyler To Wrap Up Third Straight Win
UTD 77, UT-Tyler 71

RICHARDSON, TX - The University of Texas at Dallas basketball team moved a step closer to wrapping up a third consecutive post-season berth Monday night by holding on for a 77-71 win over UT-Tyler in a wild shootout at the UTD Activity Center.

The Comets got 23 points from Kersh Milson (pictured), who also grabbed a key rebound off a UT-Tyler miss inside the final minute to help the Comets hold on for the six-point win.

The victory, UTD's third straight and seventh in its last 10 games, improved the Comets record to 9-12 overall, but evened its conference mark at 9-9 - good enough for at least a 2-1/2 game lead over its nearest challenger for the ASC East Division's final playoff berth in the post-season Championship Tournament. It also avenged a 73-64 loss to the same team last Monday. Tyler, which is not eligible for the tournament, fell to 8-13, 8-10.

The Comets actually led for the majority of the game, building as much as a 16-point lead (33-17) in the first half. After taking a 37-26 lead into the dressing room at halftime, UTD was up by 17 (51-34) with 14:06 to go as the Comets were peppering the streak-shooting Patriots with 10 three-point shots. But UTT had some outside shooting of its own, nailing 11-of-30 and worked the score back even at 61-61 with a determined 27-10 run over the next nine minutes.

Ryan Salters then gave the Patriots their only lead of the game at 63-61 at the 3:15 mark, but Jay Swafford (who finished with four 3's and 16 points) broke nearly a seven-minute scoring drought from the field with a three to put the Comets back out on top at 64-63 with 2:43 remaining. After one of UTT's 15 turnovers in the game, Martin Salinas hit his second three of the game and the Comets had a little cushion with 2:25 to go at 67-63.

Normally, that would mean little against the hot-shooting Tyler attack, but sharpshooter Brandon Weasby missed three straight attempts and the Comets responded by converting free throws to move out to a 72-63 lead with :55 remaining. Milson, whose elbow was injured on a foul, missed four straight free throw attempts to give UTT hope, but Travis Carruthers (just as he did against East Texas Baptist Saturday) stepped in and converted four clutch shots in the final :12 of the game.

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