The UTD Mercury

Media Credit: Sonia Rego Finance and business administration junior Scott Rogers keeps the ball away from his Austin College opponent on Nov. 17 in the UTD Activity Center. The UTD men's team won, 85-64.

UTD men's basketball is off to a scorching start with three straight victories, including a 71-66 win at home against the Louisiana State University-Shreveport Pilots.

"It was a mixture of good and bad," said UTD head coach Terry Butterfield. "We got off to a rough start. They scored in bunches early and we couldn't buy a basket."

The Comets fell behind, 13-3, to open the Nov. 21 game but fought back to a 37-37 tie at halftime on solid shooting from the outside. Brandon Greene, junior wing, led the charge, scoring 11 points in nearly 2 minutes, including three 3-point field goals.

UTD began the second half with an 11-point run, holding LSU-Shreveport scoreless for the first 7:55.

LSU-Shreveport star Tyrone Hamilton, a Division I transfer, led the Pilots back to tie the game, 60-60, with 3:16 remaining in the half. Hamilton ended the game with 23 points to lead all scorers.

Point guard Temaine Wright, historical studies senior, helped fend off the Pilot's attack down the stretch, scoring scored 11 of his 15 points in the second half.

After making a steal with 5 seconds remaining in the game, the team captain made two free throws to put the Comets up 71-66 and cement the UTD victory.

Butterfield said that while the team played well, there are still improvements that need to be made. The Comets missed key free throws and shot only 16-28 from the line.

But overall, it was a quality win, Butterfield said.

"The feather in our cap is that we beat a quality National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics school that had some really quality athletes," Butterfield said. "In many ways we were our own worst enemy by missing free throws, but you have to give our guys credit. A good team has to tough it out."

The game was part of the first annual Fred Jacoby I-20 Classic, which commemorated the ASC founder and former commissioner who died in March.

UTD easily won its other game in the tournament, beating Guilford College, 64-48, on Nov. 22.

Wright, who led the Comets with 24 points, 4 assists and 6 steals, was named American Southwest Conference player of the week for the after the weekend victories.

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