Patriot Women Rally For Sixth Straight Win
February 4, 2008

The University of Texas at Tyler women’s basketball team overcame a 16 point halftime deficit and outscored UT Dallas by 20 in the second half to pick up the 86-82 win on Monday night at the Herrington Patriot Center. The Patriots have now won their last six games.

UT Dallas started the game hot, knocking down 22-for-41 from the floor, 5-for-7 from 3 point range and a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line. While the Comet’s couldn’t miss, the Patriots struggled with ball, shooting just 38 percent from the floor and going 0-for-7 from behind the arch. At the break, UT Dallas carried a 16 point lead and the momentum into the locker room. But in the second half, momentum switched sides and the Patriots opened the period on a 14 to 6 run, cutting the lead to just 10.

With 9:33 left in the game UT Tyler would take the lead for the first time in almost 24 minutes, but they would not hold onto long. The Comets regained the lead with a little over six minutes left and held on to it until the 19:15 mark of the second half when sophomore Alyssa Ploof (Plano, Texas) drove in for a layup to put the Patriots up by one. Just 25 seconds later, the Comets would go up again as sophomore Chelsea Edwards (Friendswood, Texas) hit a pair of free throws to give UT Dallas their own one point lead. Then, with just :10 seconds left, senior Kasey Buggs (Lake Dallas, Texas) drove the lane and made a layup while drawing a foul. Buggs would make the subsequent free throw, putting UT Tyler up for good and giving them their tenth American Southwest Conference win of the season.

Buggs picked up her fifth double-double of the year with game-highs of 26 points and 11 rebounds. Freshman Melissa Thomas (Austin, Texas) followed Buggs with 19, while Alyssa Ploof scored 11. Sophomore Becky Taylor (New Caney, Texas) notched her second straight double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds and freshman Lindsay Eaton (Austin, Texas) also scored 10 to round out the five Patriots in double figures. Senior Jenise Langston (Magnolia, Texas) had 26 points on the night to lead the Comets.

The Patriots are now 13-7 overall in and 10-5 in the East Division of the ASC, leading the division with a one and a half game lead over second place Louisiana College. The loss drops UT Dallas to 11-9 on the year and 7-8 in league play. The Comets are now in fourth place in the East, a half of game behind third-place Mississippi College and a half of game ahead of fifth-place East Texas Baptist. The top four teams in each division will advance to the ASC tournament at the end of the season, with the ASC East champion hosting the event.

The Patriots will return to action on Thursday when they travel to Clarksville, Ark., to take on Ozarks at 5:30 p.m.

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