Richardson, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball team could not dig its way out of an 18-point, second-half hole as the Cru fell to U.T.-Dallas 70-58 Thursday night in Richardson. The loss drops the UMHB men to 8-6 overall and 6-5 in American Southwest Conference play on the season. The Comets improve to 11-1 overall and 9-0 in the ASC with the victory.

UMHB scored the game's first four points, but the Comets used a 20-6 run to open up a double-digit lead at 20-10 just 11:00 into the first half. The Cru pulled back to within six points, but Nolan Harvey's three-pointer gave UTD a 31-22 halftime lead. The Comets would push the lead to 45-27 six minutes into the second half before UMHB started to chip away. The Cru would close the gap to 57-50 with 6:32 remaining in the game, but the Comets scored five of the next seven points to stretch it back to double figures and UTD cruised to the victory from there.

Jerard Graham topped UMHB with 24 points and seven rebounds. James Allen added 18 points and Antonie Chaney chipped in 11 more. The Cru shot just 35 percent from the field and 57 percent from the free-throw line in the game. UMHB was also out rebounded 39-28 by the Comets in the loss.

Harvey hit 7-12 from the field to lead U.T.-Dallas with 22 points. Matthew Medell scored 17 points and Kyle Schleigh added 13 as just six players scored in the game for the Comets. UTD shot 55 percent from the field in the second half and hit 48 percent overall in the victory.

The Cru men will close out the week with a 3:00 PM tip-off at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene on Saturday. UMHB will then play road games at Howard Payne and Sul Ross State next week.