BROWNWOOD, TX (01.02.21) - After opening the 2020-21 campaign with four consecutive victories, the UT Dallas women's basketball team was handed its first loss of the season Saturday afternoon, falling at Howard Payne, 69-68, in non-conference play.

Trailing by as many as eight points late in the third period, the Comets (now 4-1) rallied back within a point late and had a shot at a game-winner in the final seconds of the contest before suffering a defeat to open 2021. Sydney Brock, one of two UTD players in double figures in the contest, had a chance for a go-ahead three-pointer with four ticks left, but her shot bounced off the rim and was corralled by the host Lady Jackets to seal the upset.

UTD jumped out to early first-quarter lead, snagging a 17-9 advantage with just under five minutes remaining in the opening stanza. However, the Lady Jackets rallied late in the period and cut the UTD lead to a single point, 27-26, after 10 minutes of play. The two teams then traded leads multiple times in the second before the Comets secured a 45-44 lead at the break, thanks to a Brock lay up with 30 seconds left before intermission.

The Comets opened the second half with a three-pointer by Kaylee Boykin for a four-point lead over HPU, but the Lady Jackets responded with a 18-6 run over the next six minutes to grab an eight-point cushion, 62-54, with 3:26 remaining in the third. HPU would maintain its lead throughout the contest, despite a valiant late effort by the Comets.

The Lady Jackets (1-3) held a 65-61 lead heading into what became a very defensive fourth. The two teams were just 5-of-26 over the final 10 minutes for a combined 11 points down the stretch, allowing the Comets to inch back late in the contest. HPU extended its lead to six points twice in the fourth before the Comets scored the final five points of the game. 

Paris Brinkley, the Comets' leading scorer on the afternoon, drained a three-pointer from the right corner with 4:03 on the clock to draw UTD within three points, 69-66. A block by Brock just over a minute later led to the Comets' second field goal of the fourth as Brinkley drained a jumper from the paint at the 2:37 mark. UTD used three steals to get multiple chances to regain the lead over the final two minutes, but could not find the game-winning shot.

Brinkley was 5-for-11 for 14 points, adding three rebounds and a pair of assists, while Brock added 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting with a game-high nine rebounds.

The Comets will look to bounce back Thursday night as they open American Southwest Conference play when they host Mary Hardin-Baylor in a battle of last season's division champions. Tip-off is 5:30 p.m. at the UTD Activity Center.