ABILENE, Texas – McMurry University Men's Basketball will look for a fresh start in 2019, as 2018 ended with an 89-62 loss at Kimbrell Arena to UT Dallas Monday afternoon.

The Comets (10-3, 4-2 ASC) controlled the game from the opening tip, never trailing in the game and led by as many as 40 en route to a 60-35 halftime advantage.

Shuffling the lineup to begin the second half, the War Hawks (4-9, 1-3 ASC) started the half with a quick 12-0 spurt in the first two and a half minutes to force a Comet timeout. McMurry connected on four of their first five three-point attempts in the half, after shooting just 1-of-20 from long range in the first half.

But the run was the closest the War Hawks would get to the Comets at 23 points, as UT Dallas maintained their lead.

The War Hawks' were much improved in the second half, allowing only 29 second-half points and connecting on 8-of-13 threes (61.5 percent). Defensively, they held the Comets to just 37.1 percent from the field compared to 60.6 percent in the first half.

Sophomore guard Khalil Butler led the War Hawks with 14 points and eight rebounds, with both shots from beyond the arc coming in the second half. Junior guard Zacc Carter added 13 points, while senior guard Shakur Smith had 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting from long range.

McMurry will begin 2019 Thursday at East Texas Baptist University at 7:30 p.m.