AUSTIN, Texas — St. Edward's trimmed a double-digit deficit to six at halftime, but a decisive third quarter swung momentum firmly back in UT Dallas's control as the Hilltoppers fell 64-53 to the Comets on Thursday evening in the Recreation and Athletic Center.
UT Dallas center Danielle Oyakhire set the tone in the first quarter with eight points on 4-for-4 shooting, leading the Comets to a 16-2 advantage in the paint and leading the charge on a late 12-0 run for the early 21-10 lead.
SUNI DAVIS helped St. Edward's find its footing by getting downhill, driving for a pair of layups and five free throws, and
KIANA BENNETT added a late 3-pointer as part of a 20-15 second quarter to pull within six at halftime at 36-30.
St. Edward's shot just 8-for-24 in the half but offset the cold start with a 13-for-13 performance from the free-throw line. Oyakhire led UT Dallas with 10 points and six rebounds, and Raven Busby added eight off the bench on four shots.
The Comets regained control in the third quarter, limiting St. Edward's to six points while scoring 13 of their own. UT Dallas capitalized on turnovers and second-chance opportunities, extending the lead to as many as 13 and carrying a 49–36 advantage into the final period.
St. Edward's continued to battle in the fourth, matching UT Dallas point for point over the final 10 minutes and trimming the margin to 11, but the early hole proved too much to overcome. The Hilltoppers finished the night shooting 34.7 percent from the field and were held to 14 points in the paint.
Davis led St. Edward's with 14 points, going a perfect 7-for-7 at the free-throw line, while Bennett added 12 points and
RAMSEY ROBLEDO chipped in nine.
KENDALL BECK paced the Hilltoppers on the glass with six rebounds.
UT Dallas was led by Danielle Oyakhire's game-high 20 points and 13 rebounds, as the Comets held a 40–14 advantage in points in the paint and turned 20 Hilltopper turnovers into 18 points.
St. Edward's (10–9, 4–7 LSC) returns to Lone Star Conference action next week, hitting the road for the Texas A&M-Kingsville and Texas A&M International road trip.
