RICHARDSON, Texas - After a seven-year hiatus, the UT Dallas and UT Tyler women's basketball teams played in a Lone Star Conference contest at the UTD Activity Center Thursday night.
The 36th game in the series was won by the Patriots (18-9, 14-4 LSC) 57-53 over the Comets (10-13, 7-9 LSC). Each school has 18 victories in the all-time series.
In a match-up of two of the best defenses in the league, UTD led 15-9 at the end of the first quarter after shooting 55 percent (6-of-11). UTT fought back to trail 28-26 at halftime.
The Patriots controlled the third quarter and gained a 46-40 advantage in the penultimate period.
The visitors led 50-43 with 5:53 to play, setting up a 10-1 run by the Comets and giving the hosts a 53-51 advantage with 1:10 left. Freshmen
Kinley Mears and
Clara Paynter hit back-to-back three-pointers during the rally.
A pair of free throws with 49 seconds remaining by Mariah Neal tied the game. She then blocked a shot on UTD's next possession and Hayley Cumming scored on a lay-up to put UTT up 55-53. The Comets missed again and fouled Cumming, who sealed the four-point win with a pair of free throws.
For the game, UTD shot 36.7 percent (18-of-49) overall, 7-of-17 from three-point range and 10-of-16 at the free throw line. They also had 37 rebounds, 13 assists, 16 turnovers, four blocks and seven steals.
The Patriots shot 38.9 percent (21-of-54) from the field, 5-of-19 from outside and 10-of-15 at the line with 30 rebounds, 14 assists, five blocks and 11 steals.
UT Dallas Performances
- Junior guard
Umi Otsuka led the Comets with 14 points. She has scored in double-digits in 19 of 22 games played this season.
- Mears finished with nine points and Paynter had six.
- Freshman forward
Danielle Oyakhire posted nine points and eight rebounds.
- Senior
Addy Self recorded six points, 10 rebounds, five assists, three blocks and three steals. She has eight double-digit rebound performances this year.
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Raven Busby added five points, two assists and a block.
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Sheridan Kavanagh had four points and five rebounds.
UT Tyler Performances
- Cumming led the Patriots with 16 points.
- Milena Sablinskaite had 12 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals.
- Polina Latysheva recorded seven points, four rebounds and three steals.
- Neal finished with seven points, four rebounds and two steals.
Up Next
UTD will take on #2 Texas Woman's at 1 p.m. Saturday at home. Four seniors will be honored after the game.
