02.23.08
Comets Finish Schedule With Win at LC;
Heading To 5th Straight ASC Tournament
UTD Will Face West No. 2 Seed Concordia In Opening Round
>>ASC TOURNAMENT BRACKET (pdf) (CLICK HERE)
CLINTON, MS / PINEVILLE, LA - The UTD men's basketball team is heading to its fiftth consecutive American Southwest Conference Championship Tournaement on a winning note after finishing its regular season Saturday with a 67-50 road win at Louisiana College.
UTD (17-8, 13-7), which will be the ASC East Division's No. 3 seed, lost any chance of moving up in the seeding Thursday with a 61-50 loss at division champion Mississippi College. The Comets will now face West No. 2 seed Concordia-Texas in the opening round of the tournament Friday at 2 pm. The tournament is being held at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor's Mayborn Campus Center.
MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE 61, UTD 50 (boxscore)
After a tight game throughout the first 30 minutes, the Comets again went cold at the least opportune moment, scoring just nine points in the final 9:06 of the game. UTD jumped out to an early 13-6 lead on the Choctaws, who have now won five straight ASC East Division championships and the last two ASC titles. Mississippi College answered wiht a 24-16 run to end the first half with a 30-29 lead. The game stayed close throught the first part of the second period, but the Choctaws then went on an 11-1 run over a six-minute stretch that ended with a 55-42 lead and only 3:45 left on the clock. The Comets did manage a pair of three-pointers from Scott Rodgers and Jared Fleming in the final minutes, but it was not enough.
Jordan Eppink (pictured above) was the only Comet to finish in double figures with 11 points.
UTD 67, LOUISIANA COLLEGE 50 (boxscore)
The Comets bounced back in the regular season finale and easily handled the East Division's No. 4 seed for the second time this season. UTD never trailed after scoring the first six points of the game. The Comets led by as many as 16 points in the first half before taking a 43-32 lead into the dressing room. LC was able to cut the lead to six points (56-49) at the 9:12 mark in the second half, but UTD finished on an 11- 1 run, holding LC to a single free throw in the remainder of the game.
Ernie Lowery topped the Comets with 15 points, but the biggest game came from freshman Jimmy Witten (pictured), who had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.