>>02.18.06
Comets Hold Off LC To Finish Off Year
With Best Record In Program History
UTD 72, Louisiana College 69

RICHARDSON, TX - The University of Texas at Dallas women's basketball team won its 12th game of the year in the season finale Saturday afternoon, defeating Louisiana College, 72-69, in the final home game for seven graduating seniors.

The 12 wins in a season tied for the most in the eight-year program history for the Comets, who finished the year at 12-13, 11-11 in ASC East Division play. The 11-11 record earned UTD part of a three-way tie for fourth place in the East Division after the University of the Ozarks and Austin College both lost Saturday afternoon. Unfortunate-ly, both of those teams owned a tiebreaker edge on the Comets and will be playing in next weekend's ASC Championship Tournament while the Comets see their season come to an end.

Four-year starter Jen Longoria (pictured above left) finished her season with a 15-point afternoon as she started the game with fellow four-year team members Cassi Little (7 points, 5 rebounds) and Kia Jones (7 points). Dani Barnett (pictured above right) led the team with a 20-point day, finishing the season with 440 points and a 17.6 ppg scoring average - both just narrowly setting new school records. (Jessica Conrad finished to 2001-02 season with 439 points and the same ppg average).

To win the game, UTD had to withstand a furious second-half rally from LC, which trailed the Comets 42-33 at the half. The Lady Wildcats (5-19, 5-17) actually took a couple of one point leads on the Comets - the last a 58-57 edge with 8:25 remaining. After UTD regained the lead, the score was tied again at 62-62 (5:19), and then at 69-69 with 2:29 left. But LC turned the ball over on three consecutive possessions and the Comets got an important layup from Leslie Leatherwood and a critical free throw from Ericka Baker with just seconds left.

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