RICHARDSON, TX (12.06.18) - The No. 18-ranked UT Dallas women's basketball team jumped out early and then held on for its third consecutive victory in American Southwest Conference play Thursday night with a 70-59 home win over Concordia Texas in crossover play.

The Comets improved to 6-1 overall after their fifth double-digit victory of the season and will have then first tough test in ASC play on Saturday when they host No. 17-ranked Mary Hardin-Baylor. Tip-off is 1 p.m. at the UTD Activity Center.

Sophomore Raenett Hughes paced four Comets in double figures as she poured in 15 points while adding 10 rebounds and four assists. Katie Gunther, Victoria Pena and Nkechinyerem Okehi each added 13 points while Amber Terry sparked UTD with a game-high 13 boards.

The Comets scored the opening 11 points of the contest, going 5-6 from the field as a team in the first 2:42 of the game. UTD dominated the opening quarter, leading by as many as 12 points before the visiting Tornados slowly chipped away late in the period. The Comets lead CTX, 19-10, after the first 10 minutes of the night.

The Tornados drew within three points early in the second quarter, but UTD would then use an 21-4 run over a span of six minutes to pull away for the Comets' first 20-point lead of the game, 40-20, with 2:08 left before intermission. UTD would lead the Tornados, 45-31, at the half.

UTD held on to a 61-42 lead heading into the final quarter before the Tornados would open the fourth frame with a 9-0 run to trim the lead back to 10 points, 61-51, with 5:47 left to play. CTX would draw within eight points, 67-59, with just over a minute left, but the Comets would add late buckets from Hughes and Gunther to ice the victory.

The Comets finished the night shooting 41.3 percent (26-of-63) from the field, connecting on just 6-of-16 three-pointers (37.5%) from three-point range. UTD struggled from the free-throw line late, finishing 12-for-22 (54.5%) from the stripe.