Comets Have Most Wins In WBB History

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MARSHALL & RICHARDSON, TX - For the second time in the three seasons under Coach Polly Thomason, the UTD women's basketball team has set a new school mark for most wins in a season after a pair of one-sided wins over East Texas Baptist and LeTourneau.

UTD jumped out to an early lead in both games, leading ETBU 43-19 on the way to an 86-61 road win; then turning a 27-19 halftime advantage over LETU into a 62-43 win.

Senior Ericka Baker (pictured) played in her final UTD home game this week along with Jenise Langston. Baker had a combined 27 points in the two games.

The wins clinched a second-straight American Southwest Conference playoff berth for the Comets (14-9, 10-8); but UTD is needing at least another win or two in its final regular season games to avoid entering the tournament as the 4th seed out of the ASC East Division. UTD is chasing both its final two opponents - Mississippi College and Louisiana College (both 11-7) – in the standings. MC and LC face both UTD and division-leading UT-Tyler in the final weekend.

UTD 86, ETBU 61 (Boxscore)
The Comets set the new standard on Thursday night with their 13th win of the season - an 86-61 rout of the defending ASC East Division champions from ETBU. The Comets jumped out to a 43-19 halftime lead as Langston scored 19 of her season-high 26 points. The Tigers rallied slightly in the second half to get the lead down to 12 (66-54) with 7:48 remaining, but UTD finished the game with a 21-7 flourish for the final margin.

The Comets simply could not miss in the second half, as they hit 15-of-22 shots from the field (68.2 percent). UTD out-rebounded ETBU, 49-38, and froced 19 turnovers. Langston finished with five three-pointers to lead the scoring while Ericka Baker pitched in 19 points and Chelsea Edwards had a 14-point, 10 rebound double-double.

UTD 62, LeTOURNEAU 43 (Boxscore)

The Comets were able to build a 27-14 halftime lead after the LETU offense went south for more than 11 minutes in the first half. Struggling early, UTD trailed the Yellowjackets, 12-8, at the 11:41 mark. But while UTD was methodically overcoming the deficit with a 19-point run, LETU was completely shut out until they managed a pair of free throws just before halftime.

The Comets got the lead up to 17 points early in the second period, then stretched it out to as many as 21 (50-29 at 10:51), where it stayed for the rest of the contest.

UTD held LETU to just 27.6 percent shooting (17.4 percent in the first half) and dominated the glass, 49-32. In addition to Baker, Edwards came close to her second straight double-double with a 12-point, 9-rebound game. Rachel Addison was active in the lane with 12 points and six rebounds. Langston added 10 points to her weekend totals.