Box Score ABILENE- McMurry dropped a tough one against UT-Dallas as The War Hawks and Comets men's squads met in the second game of the double-header at Kimbrell Arena in a tightly contested match up. 

UT-Dallas started the game on a 10-4 run before the War Hawks answered with a 6-0 run of their own, with 4 points from TJ Hilliard to tie the game at 10 heading into the first media timeout of the game at the 14:24 mark.

Both teams came out shooting the ball well, McMurry shot 67% from the field in the first 10 minutes, while UT-Dallas shot the ball at 53%, with the Comets leading the contest 22-19 through the midway point of the first half.

McMurry rode the hot hand of Matt Pena in the first half, as he made his first 3 3 point attempts in the contest, and first 4 shots total, giving him 11 points at the 9:01 mark of the first half. The War Hawks were able to put together a few stops in a row to lead them to a 26-23 lead at the next media timeout with 7:56 left to play in the first half. The teams continued to trade baskets and make their own pushes, keeping the score close at 37-34 at the final media timeout of the first half with 3:32 left to play. McMurry was able to maintain their lead, as they went into the locker room up by a score of 42-40.

The second half started with much of the same as the first half as far as trends go. Both teams were still getting good looks at the basket and still scoring, many times trading baskets. Through the early phases of the second half, UT-Dallas was having a hard time getting the game back to even, while McMurry had a hard time trying to pull away. McMurry led by a score of 51-50 going into the first media timeout at the 15:55 point of the second half.

The Comets were able to take their first lead of the second half by a score of 55-51 at the 14:26 mark before a big 3 by D'Von Turner put the War Hawks back within a point with 13:37 left to play. UT-Dallas's lead alternated between 1 & 3 points before we went to the next media timeout at 11:57 with the Comets up by 3.

McMurry saw themselves down by their biggest deficit of the contest as they fell behind by 10 with just over 10 minutes left in regulation. The War Hawks got a big 3 pointer in the corner from Kole Verdadero, followed by a clutch tip-in and a 3 pointer from D'Von Turner to cut the Comets lead to 2.

UT-Dallas was able to extend their lead to 8 a couple times, but the War Hawks wouldn't go down easily. McMurry got a big 3 from Matt Pina at the 3:14 mark, followed by another big 3 from D'Von Turner to put the War Hawks within 2 points going into the final stretch of the game. Despite their best efforts to make up the deficit, McMurry was unable to close the gap late in the game as the Comets would go on to win by a score of 85-80.

McMurry was led by D'Von Turner with 18 points, followed by Matt Pena with 14 points. UT-Dallas was led by Nick Donnelly with 22 points, followed by Peyton Dulin with 17 points.

The War Hawks next match up will be on Friday in San Antonio as they take on Trinity at 7:30PM in their conference opener.