Box Score TYLER, TX (12.05.13) - The nationally ranked UT Dallas women's basketball team was handed its first loss of the season Thursday night as the Comets fell, 71-67, at rival Texas-Tyler in American Southwest Conference play.
The Comets (now 5-1, 2-1 ASC) opened a season 5-0 for just the fourth time in program history and needed to rally from a five-point halftime deficit to extend their winning streak to six games. UTD traded leads with the Patriots down the stretch, but it was host UT-Tyler that had the luxury of hitting free throws in the final minutes to seal the win.
Despite shooting better than 46 percent from the field in the first half, the Comets trailed UT-Tyler, 38-33, at the break. UTD regained a lead, 46-44, with 13:22 left in the game on a three-point play by
Morgan Kilgore, however the Comets could not pull away. The two teams traded lead over the next few minutes with the Comets' final lead of the game coming with 7:17 remaining on a
Ciara Guilhas jumper, 59-58.
With 24 seconds left,
Amber Brown drew the Comets back within two points, 65-63, with a pair of free throws, but UTT answered with a layup by She'Cara Humphrey six seconds later to regain a four-point cushion. Brown and
Madi Hess each hit buckets in the final 11 seconds to draw the Comets back to a two-point deficit twice late, but UTT went 4-for-4 from the foul line late to ice the win.
Kilgore led four Comets in double digits with 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting on the night.
Jo'Anna Davis came off the bench for 14 points (12 in the first half) while Hess had 13 points and Brown finished with 11 points. Brown finished her first "double-double" of the season, adding a team-best 12 rebounds. Hess led the Comets with seven assists.
The Comets shot 40.4 percent (23-of-57) from the field, hitting just 4-of-13 three-pointers (30.8%), and shot 63 percent (17-of-27) from the free-throw line.
UT-Tyler (now 4-1, 2-0 ASC) shot 54 percent (27-of-50), hitting 4-of-7 three-pointers (57.1%), and were a perfect 13-of-13 from the free-throw line as a team. The Patriots out-rebouned UTD, 35-23.
Due to Saturday's game at Ozarks postponed due to inclement weather, tThe Comets will not return to action until Friday, Dec. 20, when they visit Sul Ross State. Game time is 1 p.m. in Alpine.
