RICHARDSON, TX (01.03.15) - The UT Dallas women's basketball team had its six-game winning streak come to an end Saturday with a 57-52 home loss to Trinity in non-conference action.
The Comets (now 9-2) shot just 32.7 percent from the field for the game, but still had the lead with just over two minutes remaining. Leading the Tigers, 52-51, with 2:04 left after a pair of
Christina Brosnahan free throws, the Comets went cold from the floor, and the line, as Trinity rallied for the win by going 6-for-6 from the foul line down the stretch.
The win was Trinity's ninth in a row after starting the season 0-2.
Senior point guard
Madi Hess recorded her first "double-double" in her two seasons with the Comets, finishing the game with 17 points and 11 rebounds, both team highs. Hess was 6-for-12 from the field, hitting three three-pointers, and added three assists and three steals.
Emily Price came off the bench for eight points while
Amber Brown added added seven points, seven rebounds and a team-best four assists.
UTD got off to a slow start as the Tigers (now 9-2) led the majority of the opening half. The Comets scored the opening basket, a layup by
Nicolette Erkman, but Trinity quickly responded and led by as many as five points before UTD would rally back. The Comets regained a four-point lead, 15-11, with 7:21 left before the break on a Erkman three-pointer before the Tigers answered with a 14-1 run over the next three minutes, capped by a three-pointer by Allison Staley with 4:31 on the clock. By then, Trinity had built a 26-16 advantage, the Tigers' largest lead of the game. UTD answered with a run of its own to close out the half, however, outscoring the Tigers, 10-2, over the final four minutes to go into the break trailing by just two points, 28-26.
Trailing 34-29 with 17:28 left to play, Hess sparked the Comets with back-to-back three-pointers to give UTD a 35-34 lead with 16:07 remaining. However, the Tigers battled back and would hold the lead until after the midway point of the half. With 9:19 remaining,
Ashley Shaw gave the Comets back a slim lead, 43-41, on a layup to cap an 8-0 run by UTD. The Comets widened their lead to as many as five points, 50-45, with 5:41 left after a Price three-pointer before Trinity made its final charge.
While the Comets came up empty the rest of the way from the floor, the Tigers pounced back with a three-pointer by Monica Holguin and a pair of free throws by Staley to force a 50-50 tie with 3:12 left to play. The two teams traded free throws down the stretch before Trinity took the lead for good, 53-52, on two free shots by Hannah Coley with 36 seconds left.
UTD finished the game 17-of-52 from the field, hitting 7-of-18 three-pointers (38.9%), and struggled from the free-throw line, hitting just 11-of-19 shots (57.9%).
The Comets return to the floor and American Southwest Conference play Thursday when they host East Texas Baptist. Game time is 5:30 p.m. at the UTD Activity Center.
