There were some moments of brilliance as the Sul Ross State men's basketball team was able to hang with the top team in the American Southwest Conference.

In the end, the University of Texas at Dallas Comets won their third-straight game with an 82-68 victory over the Lobos on Thursday night at the Pete P. Gallego Center.

Sul Ross took an early 2-0 lead on a jumper by Luke Pluymen before the Comets gained a 3-2 lead with a three-pointer.

The Comets were up by three until Larry Morrison got a three-point play after being fouled on a made layup attempt to tie the game at five-all.

UT-Dallas later rallied to a nine-point lead with 12:21 on the clock. Sul Ross managed to cut the deficit down to five with two layups by Christian Nevarez and Trey Nelson.

Aided by two clutch three-pointers, the Comets began to pull away by gaining a 13-point lead.

Sul Ross then got hot from beyond the arc as Nevarez and Daveone Bass made a pair of three-pointers to put the Lobos behind by four with 4:31 left until halftime.

The Lobos trailed by just six at the break.

UT-Dallas outscored Sul Ross, 43-35, in the second half.

Sul Ross managed to tie up the game at 39-all with a pair of three-pointers from Pluymen and Nelson with 18:55 on the clock.

The Comets went out ahead by two before Caelyb Kerley landed a jumper in the paint to tie up the score at 41-all.

It was a nail-biter after the Comets took a three-point lead, Sul Ross cut the deficit to one on two made free throws by Pluymen.

UT-Dallas then extended its lead to three once again before the Lobos chiseled the deficit back to one on a layup by Kerley.

The Comets gained a four-point lead, but Sul Ross trailed by one once more when Nelson landed a three-pointer with 16:15 in the second half.

As the pendulum swung back in favor of the Comets, the Lobos trailed by six before cutting the deficit in half on a three from Kerley.

UT-Dallas then put its offense into third gear by surging to a 17-point lead to eventually take the victory.

Nelson led the way with 17 points and six rebounds while Pluymen chipped in with 13 points. Kerley added with 11 points.

The Lobos made nine 3-pointers while shooting 24 of 63 from the field and 11 of 15 from the charity stripe.

UT-Dallas out rebounded Sul Ross, 40-30.

>> RECORDS: UT-Dallas (14-3, 9-1); Sul Ross (5-12, 2-8)

>> UP NEXT: The Lobos host the University of the Ozarks at 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21.