RICHARDSON, TX (11.15.14 ) - The UT Dallas women's basketball team hit four free throws in the final 40 seconds to rally for a 58-55 win over defending Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) champion Texas Lutheran Saturday afternoon to celebrate Homecoming with a victory.

The Comets (now 1-0) led by as many as seven points late in the game only to allow TLU (now 0-1) to slowly erase the lead and eventually grab a one-point advantage, 55-54, with 1:03 left on the clock as TLU's Kristen Lye's layup capped a 6-0 Bulldog run. Senior Madi Hess drove the lane on the Comets' next possession and drew the foul and her free throws gave UTD back the lead with 40 seconds left, 56-55.

The Comets (now 1-0) used a 7-0 run to close out the first half and trailed just once in the final 20 minutes to earn the season-opening win. The Bulldogs' try for a game-winner with eight seconds left was off-target and Nicolette Erkman quickly put down two more free throws to lift the Comets to the three-point lead. TLU had a chance to send the game into overtime at the buzzer, but UTD's Micaela Gonzalez rejected the potential game-tying three-pointer by TLU's Kristen Lye to preserve the win.

Hess was just 4-for-14 from the field, but hit three three-pointers and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the line to finish the game with a team-high 17 points. Amber Brown was the only other Comet to reach double figures, finishing with 11 points. UTD shot just 28.8 percent (17-of-59) from the field, hitting just 6-of-22 three-pointers (27.3%), and was 18-of-23 (78.3%) from the foul line. The Comets out-rebounded TLU, 47-38.

TLU took early control of the game, grabbing a 13-9 lead over the Comets with 10:41 left in the first half. Emily Price would hit three free throws with just over nine minutes left before the break to lift UTD to a 15-13 lead and the Comets would not trail again in the first half. UTD ended the period on a 7-0 run, for a 35-25 lead at the break. UTD extended its lead to as many as 12 points twice before Bulldogs began their comeback attempt.

The Comets return to the floor Tuesday night when they visit Southwestern in a non-conference affair. Game time is 6 p.m. in Georgetown.