Box Score PINEVILLE, LA (02.08.14) - In the longest game in program history, the UT Dallas women's basketball team suffered a heart-breaking 78-73 double-overtime loss at Louisiana College Saturday afternoon in American Southwest Conference play.
The Comets (now 17-4, 14-4 ASC) had played in 10 previous overtime contests in the program's 16-year history, including one earlier this season, but Saturday marked the first time UTD had played 50 minutes of women's basketball.
With the loss, UTD falls two full games back of rival Texas-Tyler (16-2) for the ASC lead as the Comets are now tied for second place with Mary Hardin-Baylor.
Leading by six points at the break, the Comets had to rally late in regulation, forcing overtime with a buzzer-beating layup by freshman
Ciara Guilhas. UTD had a chance to end the contest after just 45 minutes, but two missed free throws in the final seconds allowed the game to go to an unprecedented second OT, where the Lady Cats used a late 8-0 run to finish UTD.
Jo'Anna Davis led four Comets in double-digit scoring, ending the marathon with 16 points off the bench on 5-of-9 shooting.
Christina Brosnahan had 14 points,
Amber Brown had 12 points and
Morgan Kilgore finished with 10 points.
Kimmie Grimes pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds while Brown and Kilgore each recorded "double-doubles", adding 10 rebounds each. Guihas had a team-best four assists, playing a season-high 35 minutes after starting UTD point guard
Madi Hess played just three minutes before suffering injury.
UTD led by as many as nine points, 55-46, with 10:25 remaining in regulation only to watch the Lady Cats use a 10-0 run to grab their first lead of the second half, 56-55, less than five minutes later. During the scoreless stretch for UTD, the Comets were 0-for-6 from the field, missing two free throws as well, and committed four turnovers and had one technical foul called.
The Comets regained a slim one-point lead, 57-56, on a Kilgore layup with 3:58 on the clock, but LC answered with five straight points to seemingly finish off UTD. However, two free throws each from Brown and Davis drew UTD back within two points on two different occasions, setting up Guilhas' game-tying layup, which was set up by a Grimes steal with 12 seconds left.
Both teams struggled offensively in the first overtime period, each scoring just two points. LC opened the scoring with a jumper on the Lady Cats opening possession of the frame and UTD tied the game with two Grimes free throws with 1:23 left to play. The Comets had their chance to end the game with 4.5 seconds left in the extra period, but both of Brown's free throws were off target, and fortunately LC's ensuing game-winning three-pointer was also off the mark.
In the second OT, the Comets stormed ahead 71-67, after using a 6-2 run to open the period. UTD got a jumper from Kilgore and two free throws from both Brosnahan and Grimes during the first 2:16 of the second extra frame. However, the Lady Cats answered with eight straight points over the next two minutes, going 4-for-5 from the field during that stretch. UTD was 0-for-2 with four turnovers in that same stretch as the Lady Cats finished off the victory.
UTD shot 44.4 percent (24-of-54) from the field, hitting 6-of-18 (33.3%) three-pointers, and shot just 67.9 percent (19-of-28) from the foul line. The Comets out-rebounded LC, 51-39.
For the Lady Cats (now 13-7, 11-6 ASC), Neka Jones scored 14 points as one of five LC players in double figures. LC shot just 36.3 percent (29-of-80) from the floor, connecting on just 5-of-16 (31.3%) three-pointers, and shot 61.9 percent (13-of-21) from the free-throw line.
The Comets return home Thursday night to host East Texas Baptist. Game time is 5:30 p.m. at the UTD Activity Center.
