Belton, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball team built a double-digit second-half lead and then held off a late U.T.-Dallas rally for a 74-70 victory over the Comets Thursday night in Belton. The Cru improves to 6-2 overall and 4-0 in American Southwest Conference play with the victory. The loss drops UTD to 6-2 overall and 3-2 in ASC play.
UMHB erased a four-point halftime deficit and took its first lead since early in the first half at 37-35 on Kitrick Bell's put-back at the 14:03 mark. The Cru would eventually stretch the lead to 55-43 with 7:37 remaining before the Comets began to chip away. Nolan Harvey's three-pointer pulled UTD to within one at 59-58 with 3:17 left to play. Cory Meals then wrapped two three-pointers around a Comet free throw to make it 65-59. Carter Nash hit a three to cut it to 73-70 UMHB with seven seconds left, but a James Allen free-throw at the other end made it a two possession game and Kyle Schleigh's desperation three was off the mark at the final buzzer.
Bell finished with a monster game for the Cru. He poured in a career-high 28 points and pulled down 16 rebounds. Allen also posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 boards. Meals also had 11 for UMHB. The Cru shot 43 percent from the field and went 16-21 from the free-throw line. UMHB also out rebounded the Comets 42-32 and turned the ball over just eight times.
Schleigh topped UTD with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Harvey added 14 points, Nash scored 13 and Mitchell Anderson chipped in 11 more. The Comets bench scored just four points in the loss. U.T.-Dallas shot 43 percent from the field and hit 11 three-pointers in the game.
The UMHB men will close out the week with a 3:00 PM home game against the University of the Ozarks on Saturday. The Cru will then be off until December 28th and 29th when the team plays host to the Cru Holiday Classic at the Mayborn Campus Center.