(From Trinity University website)
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The 22nd-ranked University
of Texas at Dallas Comets eliminated the No. 17 Trinity University
Tigers from the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Tournament
with a 70-54 second-round victory Saturday night in Sams Gym. Box
Score
UT-Dallas (25-4), coached by Terry Butterfield, advanced to next
Friday’s NCAA third round (round of 16) against Capital at a
site to be determined. Capital beat Wooster (Ohio) 72-70 on a
buzzer-beater at home in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday. The Comets,
playing in their second NCAA Tournament, competed in the second
round for the first time in its history. Trinity, which beat
Maryville College (Tenn.) 68-64 Thursday in an opening-round home
game, concluded its season with a 24-5 record.
Trinity played in its seventh NCAA postseason event, and the sixth
under 10th-year head coach Pat Cunningham. The Tigers last
qualified in 2006 and lost to Maryville in the first round. In
2005, Trinity, which beat UT-Dallas 72-66 in the first round,
advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals.
The Comets, who qualified by winning the American Southwest
Conference title, held a 29-28 edge at halftime. Trinity led by as
much as seven points (19-12, at 11:18) in the first half. The
Tigers, who received an at-large bid, managed to shoot only 30
percent (9 of 30) to the Comets’ 40.6 percent (13 of 32) in
the half.
Trinity led only once in the second half, by 41-40, with 13:15 on
the clock. UT-Dallas went on a 6-0 run and led 47-41 at 11:41. The
Comets continued their pace and took its first double-digits lead,
58-48, at 5:04. Trinity could get no closer than nine points after
that mark. UT-Dallas was hot in the second half, hitting 57.7
percent (15 of 26) to Trinity’s 23.1 percent (6 of 26).
Field goal shooting was critical in the contest, as the Tigers
shot only 26.8 percent (15 of 56) in the game. UT-Dallas sank 48.3
percent (28 of 58) of its shots.
Tiger senior guard B.J. Moon led the game with 17 points, going 5
of 15 from the field, 4 of 10 in the 3-point range and sinking all
three free throws. Moon also had three assists and four rebounds.
Sophomore forward Luke Caldarera added 10 points and a team-leading
nine rebounds. Senior guard Patrick Robinson scored nine points.
Charles Houston, a senior forward, scored only four points, but
dished out a game-high four assists. Houston also pulled in six
rebounds and made two steals.
UT-Dallas was paced by sophomore forward Jimmy Witten, with 15
points. Witten shot 6 of 10 from the field. Senior guard Temaine
Wright registered a double-double, with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
Wright also had three assists and two steals. Three other UT-Dallas
players scored in double figures: junior post Jordan Eppink (11
points, eight rebounds), junior center Brandon Greene (10 points)
and junior wing Scott Rodgers (10 points).
Trinity led 42-33 in rebounding, with a 22-12 lead in offensive
boards. The Tigers also had 14 turnovers, to only six for the
Comets.
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