BELTON, TX (02.22.19) - The No. 16-ranked UT Dallas women's basketball team avenged one of its regular season losses Friday night as the Comets downed Hardin-Simmons, 75-64, in the semifinals of the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament, hosted by Mary Hardin-Baylor.

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The Comets (23-4) will be heading to the ASC title game for the fourth time in program history, winning the league crown in the squad's previous three trips to the main event (2013, 2015, 2017). UTD will have the opportunity to avenge another regular-season loss in the championship game as the Comets face tournament host and No. 11-ranked Mary Hardin-Baylor. Tip-off is 6 p.m. at the Mayborn Civic Center.

UTD trailed the Cowgirls early in the contest before taking control of the game in the second quarter. Down by as many as seven points midway through the first, UTD trailed the Cowgirls, 19-16, at the end of the opening period. Midway through the second, Raenett Hughes gave the Comets a 24-22 lead, sparking a 13-3 run by UTD late in the period. The Comets would take a 35-28 lead into the locker room.

The Comets never trailed in the second half, holding off every rally attempt by HSU. The Cowgirls clawed within two points, 45-43, late in the third period on a three-pointer by Maria Fernandez, but UTD responded with eight unanswered points to regain a double-digit lead, 53-43, heading into the final minute of the third. The Comets would snag their largest lead of the night with just under three minutes left to play in the contest when Victoria Pena drained a three-pointer to lift UTD to a 65-52 advantage. UTD would later hit 8-of-10 free throws over the final two minutes to ice the victory.

UTD had two players with at least 20 points for the second straight game as Pena had a game-high 22 points and Hughes pitched in 21 points. Pena was 7-for-16 from the field while adding eight rebounds, three assists and two steals. Hughes was also 7-for-16 with seven boards, five assists and two steals of her own. Kelley Skinner added eight points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

The Comets closed the game shooting 47.4 percent (27-of-57) from the field, making 4-of-10 three-pointers (40%), and shot 81 percent (17-of-21) from the foul line.