Box Score ABILENE, TX (11.30.13) - The unbeaten UT Dallas women's basketball team kept its perfect record intact Saturday afternoon, going into overtime before pulling away from Hardin-Simmons University, 77-67, for their second American Southwest Conference win of the season.
The Comets (now 5-0, 2-0 ASC) got big baskets down the stretch from both
Amber Brown and Ciara Guilhaus to clinch the win after HSU (0-4,0-1 ASC) erased a 21-point second half deficit to send the game into overtime.
Brown, who led the Comets with 24 points, scored her two most important baskets in the extra period, breaking open a two-point game with two quick jumpers that started the Comets pulling away. Heading toward the final minute of overtime and UTD holding on to a narrow 69-67 lead, Brown couldn't find an open pass to teammate
Morgan Kilgore inside, so tossed up a 15-foot jumper that rattled in to give the Comets a two-possession lead (71-67) with 1:02 left. Moments later, the Comets picked off a Cowgirl pass and got the ball to Brown, who again launched a long-range shot on the right side that swished through.
UTD, which held a 49-28 lead early in the second half, almost didn't get a chance to play the extra period, but were able to tie the score at 63-63 with :07 remaining in regulation when backup point guard Guilhas found a lane to the basket. Guilhas, who played almost 20 minutes in the game after starter
Madi Hess fouled out with eight minutes left, contributed six points and five rebounds during her relief appearance.
The Comets got the majority of their offense from Brown and senior post Morgan Killgore, who scored 21 points and pulled down a team-high 13 rebounds. Brown added eight rebounds to her 24-point performance as UTD won the battle of the boards, 44-33.
Sarah Wisor added seven points for UTD.
UTD, which shot 46% (26-of-56) from the field, held the Cowgirls to just 34% shooting (22-of-64). But it was HSU that came to life in the second half from beyond the arch, hitting seven three-pointers. The Comets also forced HSU into 21 turnovers.
The Comets started in an early hole, but tied the game at 4-4 five minutes in, and then raced away to a 21-9 lead on an
Ashley Shaw layup with 7:15 to go in the first half. Despite a brief run from the Cowgirls, UTD still led 38-26 at the break.
Two minutes into the second half, Kilgore gave the Comets a 47-26 lead. But HSU began chipping away while the Comets went cold from the floor and were within 53-51 with 7:06 still to go. UTD stretched that lead back out to 59-51 on three quick buckets from Hess, Kilgore and
Christina Brosnahan; but the Cowgirls fought back and tied the score at 61-61 on a three-pointer and pair of free throws from Lauren Thomas inside the final minute. After a Brown miss and HSU defensive rebound, Thomas drove to the basket with :14 remaining to give the Cowgirls their first lead since early in the game at 63-61.
Guilhas got another layup to open the overtime, but a pair of HSU steals and layups put the Cowgirls ahead, 67-65 . With 2:17 remaining, Brosnahan tied the score at 67-67 to set the stage for Brown's game-clinching heroics. Brown and Guilhas put the finishing touches on the 10-point margin of victory at the free-throw line.
The Comets continue their ASC road swing Thursday at The University of Texas at Tyler, then Saturday at The University of the Ozarks.
