Comets Picked Fourth In ASC East Poll

UTD Pegged For Return Trip To ASC Tournament

RICHARDSON, TX - The 2007-08 University of Texas at Dallas women's basketball team is expected to qualify for its second straight American Southwest Conference championship tournament, but still has something to prove to voters in the annual ASC Pre-Season poll.

The Comets, who were 11-15, 8-12 last season, were picked to finish fourth in the ASC East Division in a poll of ASC East coaches, sports information directors and media representatives. UTD finished behind East Division favorite East Texas Baptist, Texas-Tyler and Mississippi College in the poll.

Howard Payne University was the pre-season favorite in the powerful ASC West Division, finishing ahead of NCAA Division III national tournament teams Hardin-Simmons and McMurry University.

East Texas Baptist, which went 21-5 last season and won 14 straight games before falling in the ASC tournament semifinals, received 141 points and 16 of the possible 21 first-place votes in the East Division. University of Texas at Tyler, which becomes eligible for postseason play after serving as an NCAA provisional the last four seasons, was predicted to finish second with 112 points. The Patriots received only five more points than Mississippi College. Both squads received two first-place votes.

University of Texas at Dallas (87 points) landed in the fourth-place spot to round out the division’s postseason qualifiers. University of the Ozarks was fifth at 61 points, followed by Louisiana College (54 pts.) and LeTourneau University (26 pts.). LC received the final top-spot tally.

ASC women’s basketball teams may begin the 2007-08 season as early as November 16, when UTD travels to the Trinity University Tournament in San Antonio. The eight-team ASC Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament is slated for February 29-March 2 at the site of the East Division’s No. 1 seed. The winner earns a berth in the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship.