RICHARDSON, TX (01.05.17) - Trailing by one point at the break, the UT Dallas women's basketball team clamped down defensively in the second half to earn a 79-54 home win over McMurry Thursday night in American Southwest Conference play.

The Comets (10-2, 5-0 ASC) collected their eighth straight victory, two shy of the program record, and will look to a ninth in a row Saturday when they host Hardin-Simmons. Game time is 1 p.m. at the UTD Activity Center.

After a back-and-forth first half, highlighted by 10 lead changes, the visiting War Hawks (5-8, 1-4 ASC) would secure a 34-33 lead going into the locker room after a steal and buzzer-beating lay up by London Weilert. The Comets' conference-leading defense's 34 points allowed was the second-highest total allowed this season. The War Hawks hit 50 percent from the field in the first half, hitting 6-of-11 three-pointers (54.5%).

UTD turned things around quickly in the second half, however, opening the third frame on a 12-5 run to grab a 45-39 lead with 4:24 left in the quarter after a McKenzie Petty free throw. The Comets took a 52-45 lead into the final period after outscoring McMurry, 19-11.

In the fourth, the Comet defense would limit McMurry to just nine points on 2-of-16 shooting to pull away for the victory. UTD took its first double-digit lead with 9:22 left to play on a Micaela Gonzalez jumper and extended the lead to more than 20 points, 71-49, on a three-pointer by Petty with 2:04 on the clock. The Comets led by as many as 28 points late in the game.

Alyssa Crockett scored a game-high 17 points to lead five Comets in double figures. Zavier Landry had 14 points, Gonzalez 12 points, Victoria Pena 11 points and Kayla Reinhart 10 points in the victory. Gonzalez pulled down a team-best six rebounds while Landry, Gonzalez and Reinhart each had three assists.

The Comets finished the night shooting 50 percent (23-of-46) from the floor, connecting on 9-of-18 (50%) from three-point range, and shot 75 percent (24-of-32) from the free-throw line.