BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball dropped a close decision to the University of Texas at Dallas Thursday evening in Belton. The loss dropped the Cru to 13-7 on the season while the Comets improved to 14-8 overall.
 
UT Dallas opened the game with a dunk and took a quick 5-2 lead in the contest. Josh Goings hit a jumper at 17:51 to cut the gap to one before a jumper from Eli Beard at 16:20 put the Cru on top. UT Dallas responded on the next possession and went on an 8-0 run to go up by seven. The Comets held on to the lead, going ahead by as many as 11. The Cru started to chip away at 5:06, jump-started by a jumper and ensuing foul shot from Goings at 5:06. The Cru pulled within four off a 9-2 run and held the Comets to just one in the final minute. Co Rose recorded a steal and layup with 00:13 to play to pull the Cru within four at the end of the first half.
 
Josh Goings led the Cru with 11 points in the first half while Ryan Pondant and Co Rose each added five. UMHB shot 36.4 percent in the frame, scoring 20 points in the paint and 11 points off turnovers.
 
Goings opened the second half with a jumper at 19:53, quickly followed by a jumper from Pondant at 18:56 to knot the contest at 31. Both teams exchanged jumpers to knot the contest again at 33 before a Donta Coady three-pointer put the Cru up by three. UT Dallas responded again and the contest tied at 36 before Jordan Balderaz scored five unanswered points for a 41-37 Comet margin.
 
UMHB cut the gap to just one at the 12:05 mark off a three-pointer from Rose and went ahead off another Rose basket at 11:51. The contest played basket-for-basket from there until the Comets hit back-to-back three-pointers at 6:29 and 6:21 for a 59-55 lead. The Cru cut the lead to one several times but the Comets stayed on top, going ahead by six with 15 seconds to play. A three-pointer from Zach May made it a one-possession contest with ten seconds to play but a pair of foul shots from Matthew Soto at 00:08 sealed the 78-73 win for the Comets.
 
Josh Goings led the Cru with 16 points while Zach May added 13. Co rose and Eli Beard also finished in double-digits while Donta Coady led the team with six boards. Josh Goings had a team-high five assists while Maurice Pinnock and Rose each added two steals.
 
UMHB returns to action on Thursday, February 13^th in a 7:30 p.m. contest at LeTourneau University in Longview.