TYLER (02.26.15) - The UT Dallas women's basketball team set a new program record, picking up its 22nd win of the season as the Comets (22-4) took care of Concordia Texas, 59-47, in the opening round of the 2015 American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament at the Patriot Center.

UT TYLER TOURNAMENT CENTRAL PAGE

UTD broke open a close game at intermmission with a 33-25 second half, scoring 20 points off 26 CTX turnovers. The Comets will next meet Louisiana College in the tournament semifinals at 5 pm Friday. LC had to go to overtime to top the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, 91-90, to advance. The tournament's championship game is set for 4 pm Saturday.

Senior Christina Brosnahan led the way for UTD Thursday with 15 points while senior Madi Hess and sophomore Madison Steele combined for 21 points. Nadeen Fadelle scored 18 for Concordia, but no other Tornado player had more than 8 points.

It was UTD's third win over Concordia this season and second in the last week.
 

Both teams suffered from the opening-round jitters, missing shots and turning the ball over a combined 46 times. But UTD used its defensive prowess to keep the pressure on CTX; and was able to slowly pull away early in the second half, turning a 26-22 halftime edge into a 10-point, 34-24 lead with an 8-2 run to open the final period.

After an early 6-6 tie, the Comets took the lead for good, scoring six unanswered points on drives to the basket by Hess and Micaela Gonzalez to take a 12-6 lead at 14:23. The Tornado was able to cut the UTD lead down to 16-15 with back-to-back layups at the 7:40 mark, but Brosnahan and Hess both hit three-pointers in an 8-2 run that moved the lead back to 24-17. UTD only hit three 3-pointers in the game, but CTX was less effective, going 2-12 from beyond the arc.

The second Brosnahan three of the day moved the Comets out to an 11-point lead (39-28) with 11:48 left and CTX couldn't get back any closer the rest of the way. Brosnahan's jumper with 1:55 remaining gave UTD its largest lead of the afternoon at 55-40.

UTD won the battle of the boards, 28-25, and got a decided advantage at the free throw line, hitting 18-of-25 foul shots. The Comets got 21 points off the bench.

UTD and Louisiana College split their regular season series. The Wildcats won the ASC opener over the Comets, 70-65, back in November. The Comets avenged that loss with a 67-53 decision at home two weeks ago. UTD won the ASC title in 2013.