RICHARDSON, TX (02.01.16) - A Tyra Banks steal and breakaway lay up with 22 seconds left in overtime sealed the win as the UT Dallas women's basketball team outlasted Ozarks, 80-74, in overtime Monday night for a critical American Southwest Conference home win.

The Comets improved to 12-7 overall and evened their ASC mark at 5-5 with Monday's win. UTD, currently fifth in the ASC's East Division, return to action Thursday for an league crossover game at Mary Hardin-Baylor. In that contest, UTD head coach Polly Thomason will be trying for her 200th career coaching victory. Game time is 5:30 p.m. in Belton.

Leading 30-25 at halftime, the Comets exploded out the break, using a 15-0 run including 10 points from Micaela Gonzalez to snag a seemingly unsurmountable 18-point lead, 45-27, with 6:46 left in the third period. The Comets would lead Ozarks, 52-41, heading to the final frame.

UTD continued to control momentum in the fourth until Lady Eagle Ashley Hipps nearly single-handedly brought Ozarks back into the game. The Comets led Ozarks by 13 points, 60-47, with 6:18 left in regulation before the Lady Eagles would make their run. Ozarks would hit five three-pointers over the next five minutes, three by Hipps, tying the game, 66-66, with 1:48 left. The two teams then combined for 0-6 from the field from that point to force overtime.

After several lead changes over the first three minutes of the extra frame, the Comets took a 74-73 lead with 2:01 on the clock on Jasmine Lopez' team-high fifth three-pointer of the night. After a missed trey by the Lady Eagles, UTD would add a a jumper from Nicolette Erkman to stake a three-point lead. Ozarks then got a free throw from Madison Sherrer to trim the Comet lead back to two, 76-74, with 1:02 left.

After a missed three-pointer by the Comets, Sherrer was stripped at the top of the key by Banks and the freshman streak down the floor to seal the victory. UTD added two late free throws from Lopez to ice the game.

The Comets shot 39.1 percent (27-of-69) from the field, hitting 10-of-27 three-pointers (37%), and were 16-of-20 (80%) from the foul line. Lopez finished with a team-high 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting, hitting 5-of-11 three-pointers. Gonzalez added 17 points, Kendall Festervand had 12 points and Erkman had 11 points off the bench. Gonzalez led UTD with eight rebounds as the Comets out-rebounded Ozarks, 47-43. Despite the extra frame, the Comets were just called for a season-low six fouls.

For Ozarks (now 8-9, 2-8 ASC), Hipps finished with a game-high 24 points to lead four Lady Eagles in double figures. Hipps was 9-for-24 from the field, hitting 6-of-14 treys. The Lady Eagles finished the night shooting 38.7 percent (29-of-75) from the field, hitting 11-of-31 three-pointers (35.5%), and were 5-of-7 (71.4%) from the free-throw line.

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