January 8th, 2009
Box Score
(photo of Malcolm Dotson by Drew Engelke)
RICHARDSON, Texas – Scott Rodgers scored 23 points off the bench to lead the University of Texas at Dallas to an 83-69 American Southwest Conference victory Thursday over Texas Lutheran.
At the UTD Activity Center, the 24th-ranked Comets improved to 11-1 overall and to 6-1 in conference play.
TLU dropped to 2-8 overall and to 2-5 in the ASC.
Texas-Dallas held TLU to 33.3 percent shooting in the first half in opening a 42-31 halftime advantage. In contrast, Texas-Dallas hit 46.7 percent of its first-half shots and was 6-for-9 from the three-point line in the opening 20 minutes.
Brandon Green made three three-pointers for the Comets in the opening period and led the team with nine points at the break.
Rodgers scored 16 of his game-high 23 in the second half. He made seven of his 11 field goal attempts, and he was 8-for-9 from the free throw line. He added five rebounds, two assists, and three steals.
Texas-Dallas out-rebounded TLU by 20, 46-26. The rebounding margin was in favor of the Comets 27-15 at the half. Jimmy Witten grabbed a game-high nine rebounds for the Comets. Temaine Wright added seven rebounds along with his seven points, four assists and three steals.
TLU received 12 points each from three different players – point guard Malcolm Dotson (LaMarque/LaMarque), wing Brad Howard (Houston/Cypress Creek), and wing Isaac Williams (San Antonio/Wagner). First-year guard Michael Flores (Spring/Klein Collins) added 10 points.
TLU had just five assists and committed 17 turnovers. The Bulldogs did register 12 steals. Dotson had four of the 12, and Williams added three.
TLU continues conference play this Saturday with a 3 p.m. game at the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Ark.