Box Score
SHERMAN, TX (11.26.13) - Newcomer
Madi Hess scored 30 points, doing most of her damage from the free-throw line, as the UT Dallas women's basketball team downed Austin College, 72-68, on the road Tuesday night in non-conference play.
The Comets (now 4-0) held a double-digit lead with just 76 seconds left to play only to be forced to hold off the host 'Roos in the final seconds of the contest. Hess was 15-for-18 from the free-throw line in the contest, hitting 7-of-10 shots in the final 47 seconds to help the Comets hold off Austin College and remain perfect on the season.
Hess was 6-of-12 from the field (3-of-7 from three-point range) as she led three Comets in double figures.
Morgan Kilgore had 12 points and a team-best six rebounds while
Jo'Anna Davis added 12 points, hitting four three-pointers.
The three-point shooting may have been the difference for UTD, which was 9-for-22 from beyond the arch and had five in building a 34-27 first-half lead. UTD also continuously took the ball to the hole, drawing 27 AC fouls and taking advantage of 30 trips to the foul ine, converting 21.
The Comet defense prevented the 'Roos from getting a clean shot throughout much of the game, holding AC (1-3) to just 7-of-26 (26.9%) shooting in the first half. But AC stayed in the game by also converting at the free-throw line. The 'Roos were 24-of-29 at the stripe off 27 UTD fouls.
Struggling early, the Comets got a lift off the bench when
Jo'Anna Davis came on the floor and nailed a pair of three-point shots to put UTD up 15-11 at the 10:41 mark of the first half. Hess then followed suit with two of her own and the Comets stretched the lead out to 26-16 over the next three minutes. UTD kept the advantage at 7-10 points throughout the rest of the first period and were up 34-27 at the break.
The Comets looked to be on their way to a rout in he second half, outscoring AC 15-5 in the first 10 minutes of the second period to build a 51-35 lead with 9:21 to go. But UTD then went into a scoring drought, converting just once from the floor over the next six minutes. When Hess finally provided a spark with a three-pointer at the 4:25 mark, the 'Roos had cut the lead down to four (52-48) with a 13-1 run.
Christina Brosnahan and Davis followed Hess' shot with three-pointers of their own, though, and UTD had the margin back at 10 (63-53) with 228 remaining.
Things got very tense in the final 1:16, however. AC successfully maintained possession by sending the Comets to the free-throw line almost immediately after each inbound pass. A three-pointer and three layups pulled the 'Roos to within 68-66 with :16 remaining, but Hess (who had only hit three of her last six free throws) nailed four straight down the stretch to ice the win for UTD.
The Comets take their perfect record (and 1-0 start in conference play) on the road Saturday to Hardin-Simmons in Abilene for a 1 pm start.
