RICHARDSON, Texas - Battling the top team in the American Southwest Conference down to the end, the East Texas Baptist University women's basketball team upset #16 University of Texas Dallas 66-61 to advance to the championship game on Saturday. This will be the first time in program history that ETBU has made to the finals. ETBU overcame an 11-point deficit from the first quarter to claim the upset win.
Leading the way was
Madison McCoy, who piled a game high 17 points while
Sydney Saxton added 15. Collecting a double-double was
Amanda Wilson, who finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds while
Brittney Jones finished with 12 points on the team. UTD was led by Alexa Boushey (14 points,), Kelley Skinner (13 points), and Victoria Pena (12 points) finished with double-digits scoring.
ETBU finished shooting 48.8% from the field, 50.0% from three-point range, and 81.8% from the free throw line. They would hold UTD to 35.7% from the field, 38.1% from the three-point line, and 59.1% from the free-throw line. In addition, ETBU out-rebounded UTD 34-31 and grabbed 20 points off of turnovers.
UTD would get off to a strong start as they scored seven straight points (10:00-8:48) before Wilson would get ETBU on the board (8:20). After a layup by
Brittney Jones (6:32) to trail 7-4, the Comets would charge to a 9-0 run (6:12-3:03) to lead 16-4. Wilson would cut the lead to 16-6 (2:37) only for UTD to answer with a jumper (2:03) to go back up 18-6. Free throws by Saxton (1:49) and Wilson (0:41) would be all ETBU would score in the final minute as UTD would tack on another basket to lead 20-9.
The second quarter would see ETBU charge to a 10-3 run (10:00-6:49) as a three by
Baylie Lindsey (9:25), a jumper (8:17) and layup (6:59) by Jones, and a three-point play by Saxton (7:26) would cut the lead to 23-19. But UTD would push a 7-2 run the lead to nine points at 30-21 (3:04). Yet, four points from Saxton (2:53, 1:49), and a three from McCoy (0:55) cut the lead to 30-28. UTD would answer with a three before McCoy would sink a pair of free throws to make the score 33-30 in UTD's favor at halftime.
ETBU tied the game at 33-33 in the third quarter with three points from Jones (9:13) and Wilson (8:17) before grabbing their first lead of the game on a three by
Katy Boren to lead 38-37 (7:35). UTD would retake the lead and soon lead by as much as five points at 45-40 (3:45). Once again, ETBU refused to back down as six straight points from Wilson (2:41), Saxton (2:07), and Jones (1:51) gave ETBU a 46-45 lead. Each team traded baskets in the end as UTD's lead at 47-46 (0:35) was answered by a buzzer-beater from McCoy. After three, ETBU had the lead at 48-47.
The Comets would retake the lead at 51-48 to start the fourth quarter (8:53) before McCoy tied the game with a three-pointer (7:01). The game was then tied at 53 (5:48) before a Wilson free throw (4:54) gave ETBU the lead for good. The next three shots would see
Karley McHenry (4:06) and McCoy (2:03) hit three's to answer a UTD three (3:41) for a 60-56 lead. UTD would then get the game as close as 60-59 with 1:23 to go before free throws by Saxton (0:51) and McCoy (0:23, 0:10) would help give ETBU the win at 66-61.
ETBU will now play the #1 seed from the West Division in the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor at 6:00 PM tomorrow night to decide the ASC Champion and the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
