RICHARDSON, TX (02.17.18) - The No. 20-ranked UT Dallas women's basketball team completed its perfect run through the American Southwest Conference's East Division Saturday afternoon with a 78-68 home win over regionally ranked East Texas Baptist.

The Comets will head to the postseason with a 22-3 overall record, matching the program record for wins in the regular season, winning the ASC East with a 16-2 league record. UTD was 12-0 against teams from the East Division with the Comets' only two conference loss coming in crossover play.

UTD will host the ASC Tournament next weekend and open play Thursday at 7:30 p.m. against Hardin-Simmons, the No. 4 seed out of the ASC's West Division.

After a tight opening quarter, the Comets out-gunned ETBU, 22-13, in the second stanza to grab a 38-26 advantage at the break. McKenzie Petty, one of four seniors on the squad, hit a trio of three-pointers in the opening half as she sparked UTD with a13 points off the in the opening half.

The Tigers (19-6, 13-5 ASC) cut the UTD lead in half by the 4:04 mark of the third quarter, but back-to-back buckets freshman Alexa Boushey and Raenett Hughes stopped the rally and help the Comets secure a 50-41 lead heading to the final period.

ETBU made one final run, drawing withing two points with 4:27 left to play before Victoria Pena drained a three-pointer to lift the Comets to a 67-62 lead with 3:35 on the clock. Pena later used an old-fashioned three-point play to widen the gap to seven points with just over two minutes left. Leading by just four points with 20 seconds left, UTD secured the season sweep of the Tigers with a pair of free throws from both Madison Steele and Pena.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
The Comets finished the afternoon shooting 47.3 percent (26-of-55) from the field, hitting 8-of-19 three-pointers (42.1%). UTD was 18-of-27 (66.7%) from the free-throw line.

UTD scored 17 points off of 20 Tiger turnovers, and out-rebounded ETBU, 39-27.

KEY PERFORMERS
Hughes led the Comets with 20 points and nine rebounds as one of four UTD players in double-digit scoring. She was 9-for-15 from teh field and added six assists.

Pena had 16 points while Petty added 15 points and Kelley Skinner finished with 13 points.