RICHARDSON, TX - The UT Dallas women's basketball team should now be in the national spotlight after knocking off defending NCAA Division III national champion Howard Payne University 77-55 Saturday afternoon, snapping the LadyJackets' national-best 39-game win streak.
The loss was HPU's first since the 2006-07 season. The LadyJackets, who started this season 6-0 and were ranked No. 10 in the national poll, were 33-0 in 2007-08 when they won the national title after sweeping through the American Southwest Conference. The 39-game win streak was the longest current streak in all divisions of the NCAA.
HPU had also won 30 consecutive games against ASC opponents.
The Comets, who improved to 4-0 in ASC play, are 6-1 overall with their only loss coming in overtime to then-ranked St. Benedict (MN). UTD leads the ASC East Division now with a 4-0 conference mark.
UTD jumped out to an early 19-5 lead in the game and kept the pressure on throughout, holding off a late Howard Payne charge by hitting 14-of-16 clutch free throws and getting some big three-point shots during the game's final 10 minutes.
Howard Payne fought its way back in the game during the first half, but still trailed 36-25 at intermission. The LadyJackets, who beat UTD by more than 40 points last season, then regained some of their momentum in the first nine minutes of the second period to put together a 17-8 run to get within 44-42 with 11:01 remaining. But
Lyndsey Smith hit a big 3-pointer to keep HPU at bay. After the LadyJackets had it back to 54-50 with 7:35 left, UTD closed out the game with a 23-5 run that sealed the victory.
The Comets had four players finish in double figures, led by
Lauren Hale's 16-point, 6-rebound game.
Kori Joyce added 14 points while
Chelsea Edwards and Smith added 13 apiece.
Lauren Jiles had a nice game with 8 points and 8 rebounds. But it was the UTD depth that made the difference as nine of the 10 players who got in the game scored.
UTD stayed even with the bigger HPU lineup, which won the rebounding battle by just two, 38-36.
UTD is now off for 10 days before travelling to Austin College on Dec. 18.
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