01.12.08
Fourth Straight Loss Doesn't Dim Hopes
Comets Go Toe-To-Toe With ASC West Powers HSU, McMurry
RICHARDSON, TX - The UTD women's basketball team isn't exactly entering the American Southwest Conference East Division portion of its schedule on a roll after losing four straight games, but the Comets (7-6, 3-5) showed they might just have the stuff to challenge for the East Division title with a pair of hard-fought losses over the weekend to two of the West's top teams.
UTD got itself in a big hole early, but played the perennial ASC power Hardin-Simmons Cowgirls even in the second half of an 80-65 loss Thursday. Then Saturday, UTD put a scare into McMurry, the No. 8 team in the nation, before falling 60-54.
Chelsea Edwards (pictured) had 29 points in the two games. UTD while Ericka Baker (below) combined for 28 points and 17 rebounds.
The Comets looked overmatch early, trailing by as many as 20 points and then falling behind 35-19 at halftime. But UTD came alive in the second period. After hitting just 7-of-27 in the first half, UTD put together a 50.0 percent shooting performance (18-of-36) from the field and hit 5-of-11 three-point shots to narrow the lead down to 11 points twice, and to 10 points (45-55) with 10:36 remaining. But HSU was able to maintain its lead the rest of the way, and was solid at the free-throw line in the waning moments.
Baker (pictured) paced four UTD shooters in the rally with an 18-point, 8-rebound game. The Comets forced HSU into 23 turnovers.
UTD continued its momentum from the Thursday game when nationally-ranked McMurry University came to town Saturday. The two teams battled through an even first-half (McM held a 29-28 lead at the break), then swapped leads until the 12:45 point of the second half, when UTD held its final lead in the game at 43-42 after a Tawni Ichimura jump shot. That's when McMurry opened up a 54-46 lead it would not surrender with a 12-3 run over the next six minutes. The Comets got the lead back to six (56-50) with 4:22 remaining, but could not stop the inside game of McMurry, which had a 24-point, 13-rebound game from All-America center Tarra Richardson, who also blocked four shots.
UTD had three players finish in double figures, but also got an impressive game from sophomore Lauren Hale (pictured), who had eight points , 11 rebounds and six blocks.