RICHARDSON, TX (03.10.21) - The No. 8-ranked UT Dallas women's basketball team will be heading to the semifinals of the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament for the fifth consecutive season after earning a hard-fought 62-55 home win over LeTourneau in the quarterfinals.
The Comets (now 14-3) got off to its worst start of the season, falling behind 14-0 in the opening quarter, before slowly clawing back into the contest. UTD would finally knot the game late in the third period and would not snag its first lead until the final quarter before holding off the YellowJackets later with free throws.
LeTourneau (now 12-6) led the the Comets, 16-6, after the first quarter and would lead UTD, 30-24, at the break. The YellowJackets' largest lead of the night came at the 4:01 mark of the opening period, taking a 16-1 lead. The Comets climbed within two points late in the second quarter, 24-22, after a
Sydney Brock three-point play, but LETU would close the half on a 6-2 run to secure its six-point halftime advantage.
The YellowJackets would lead by as many as seven points early in the second half before UTD turned the tables late in the third quarter. The Comets finally knotted the game with 38 seconds left in the third on a
Raenett Hughes steal and breakaway lay up, sending the two teams tied headed to the fourth, 42-42.
The Comets' first lead of the night came with 9:21 left to play as
Jordan Maxwell scored the first points of the fourth and UTD would not relinquish that lead for the rest of the contest. The Comets' largest lead in the fourth came with 3:43 on the clock when Hughes pushed the UTD cushion to night points, 58-49, on a three-point play. The YellowJackets cut the lead back to six points twice down the stretch but could not regain the lead.
Hughes scored 16 of her game-high 23 points in the second half as she propelled the Comets to the come-from-behind victory. Hughes was 10-for-19 form the field and added six rebounds, a team high. Maxwell finished with nine points and
Anna Jefferson-Polk came off the bench for six points.
The Comets will face defending ASC champion Mary Hardin-Baylor at 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the semifinals and, with a win would advanced to the league title contest at 6 p.m. Monday. The ASC's semifinals and final will be played in Alpine on the campus of Sul Ross State.
