RICHARDSON, TX (12.02.21) - The UT Dallas men's basketball team notched double-digit three-pointers for the third time in six games to start the season as the Comets cruised to a 94-49 home win over Howard Payne Thursday night in ASC play.

The Comets (5-1, 2-0 ASC) opened the game 1-for-6 from three-point range only to connect on 5 of their next six long-range shots to turn an early nine-point deficit into a double-digit lead late in the opening half. UTD then posted 54 points in the second half against the visiting Yellow Jackets (2-5, 1-2 ASC) remain atop the league standings. The Comets will continue its ASC home weekend Saturday with a 3 p.m. contest against Sul Ross State at the UTD Activity Center.

UTD closed the night 11-for-30 from beyond the arc with five different players recording at least one three-pointer in the lop-sided victory. Donovan Souter led the charge with a game-high 22 points, hitting 4-of-7 treys, while adding four rebounds and an assist. Cole Williams came off the bench for 15 points while Kameron Pruitt added 13 points and James Curtis finished with 10 points. Pruitt recorded his third 'double-double' of the season with a game-best 10 rebounds. Curtis added eight rebounds and led the Comets with seven assists.

The Comets opened the contest with back-to-back jumpers by Souter and Pruitt but the squad immediately cooled off as HPU went on an 18-5 run over a span of six minutes to secure its largest lead of the night. Souter, Williams and Curtis each then drained three-pointers to bolster a 25-4 run for the Comets with UTD snagged a double-digit cushion with 5:30 left to play in the opening half. Curtis' trey knotted the game, 22-22, with 7:43 left and his second three-pointer just over two minutes later pushed the Comet lead to 10 points. UTD ended the first half 6-for-17 from three-point range an led the Yellow Jackets, 40-24, at the break.

UTD's lead continue to swell early in the second half as Curtis pushed the advantage to 21 points, 45-24, with a breakaway layup after a HPU turnover. The Comets widened their lead to 30 points before the midway point of the second half and would double up HPU, 80-40, with just under nine minutes left.

The Comets' 11 three-pointers matched the second-most by the team this season while UTD set season highs in field goals (39), field goal percentage (50.6) and rebounds (56). The Comets scored 25 points off of 21 HPU turnovers.