MARSHALL, Texas – Fighting hard until the last seconds, the East Texas Baptist University women's basketball team came up short as they fell 59-55 to the University of Texas Dallas Comets. Despite the loss, ETBU still remains in first place with a 12-2 overall record and a 6-1 record in the American Southwest Conference East Division.

ETBU was led by Kim Childress and Erin Meeks, who both had double-doubles in the game. Childress finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds while Meeks finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Childress also finished with two assists, which tied her along with Madison McCoy. For UTD, Victoria Pena finished with a game-high 19 points, including the game-winning three-pointer. Pena also finished with four assists along with teammate McKenzie Petty.

Despite outshooting UTD 47.7%-31.3% from the field and 30.8%-29.6% from the three-point range, UTD won the free throw game (68.8%-56.3%). ETBU also outrebounded UTD 37-32 despite giving up more offensive rebounds (17-11). But it was UTD's 35 points off turnovers that were a big factor in the game.

ETBU started the game on a tear outscoring the Comets 14-4 for nearly the first five minutes of the game. In the stretch, Childress tallied seven points including baskets at 9:06 and 5:35. Meanwhile, UTD would not get their first field goal of the game until 3:59 left on a basket by Megan Badejo. This started a 5-0 run that saw UTD trail 14-9 (3:27). ETBU tacked on five straight points to lead 19-9 with forty-two seconds left. A three-pointer by Pena (0:19) cut the deficit to 19-12 after one quarter.

Five points by UTD made it 19-17 just fifty-seven seconds in before Childress got ETBU up four (21-17) twelve seconds later. UTD would then tie the game at 21 with 7:11 to go before ETBU answered with five straight points by McCoy (6:31) and a three by Karley McHenry (6:02). That was when the game changed as UTD would answer with a 9-0 run (4:31-1:47) to take a 30-26 lead. Baylie Lindsey would cut the deficit to 30-28 at halftime.

The second half started smooth for UTD as they would get the first four points to lead 34-28 in the first one minute and forty-eight seconds. A three-pointer (7:33) and layup by Lindsey (4:08) cut the deficit to 36-33 before UTD raced out to a 42-33 lead with a 6-0 run (3:41-2:55). ETBU would not back down as they finished the quarter with six straight points from Meeks to trail 42-39 with one quarter to go.

Meeks would pick up the first basket of the fourth quarter with a layup (9:33) before McHenry gave ETBU a 43-42 lead (8:11). This momentum continued as Katy Boren would hit a three (7:02) and Meeks tallied another layup (6:22) to give ETBU a 48-42 margin. UTD answered back as they would cut the lead to 48-47 (3:48) before Childress tacked on free throws to lead 50-47 with 3:08 to play. However, a layup by Raenett Hughes (2:11) and a jumper by Ja'Lee Carver (1:03) would give UTD a 51-50 lead. ETBU then got a clutch basket by Childress with forty-five seconds left to lead 52-51. But it was a three-pointer by Pena with twenty-nine seconds left that proved to be the game winner as UTD went up 54-52. A series of free throws by both teams would see UTD lead 58-55 with fourteen seconds left. ETBU had a chance to tie the game with a three, but they came up short as UTD would sink the final free throw to secure a 59-55 win.

ETBU will look to rebound as they travel to LeTourneau on Monday night at 5:30 PM.