CHICAGO, IL (11.10.19) - The No. 7-ranked UT Dallas women's basketball team closed its season-opening road trip to Illinois Sunday afternoon with a 74-69 road loss at the University of Chicago.

Junior Raenett Hughes continued her solid start to the young season with a 20-point performance, hitting 9-of-15 shots from the field and adding three assists and a pair of steals. Katie Gunther and Kelley Skinner rounded out the Comets in double digits with 12 and 10 points, respectively, while Victoria Pena added eight points and nine assists. Skinner led the squad with nine rebounds.

The Comets (now 0-2) struggled from the perimeter in the contest, shooting just 2-for-20 from three-point range, but made up for it by scoring 50 points in the paint. UTD has also continued to see success from their defensive pressure, forcing Maroon turnovers.

UTD and the Maroons played fairly close in the opening half, with neither team being able to gain a double-digit lead, but Chicago's 13-for-30 first-half shooting from the field propelled the host Maroons to a 39-32 lead at the break. In the second half, Chicago jumped ahead quickly, but the Comets fought back and drew within a single possession, 43-40, after a Nia Dove bucket with 7:22 left in the third.

The Comets eventually cut the lead to as few as two points and ended the third quarter down just 53-49. With just under 90 seconds left to play, Nkechinyerem Okehi clawed the Comets with two points, 67-65, after a pair of free throws but Chicago would seal the win by hitting 7-of-8 free throws down the stretch.

UT Dallas shot 30-of -72 (41.7%) from the field overall and added 7-for-9 (77.8%) accuracy from the charity stripe. The Comets out-rebounded Chicago, 40-39, and dished out 14 assists as a team.

The Comets will play at home for the first time this season Saturday when they celebrate Homecoming with a 2 p.m. meeting with in-region foe Southwestern at the UTD Activity Center.