TYLER – McMurry's defense shut down UT-Dallas in the second half and used a 15-0 run to spurt past the Lady Comets in the opening round of the ASC Tournament Friday night. McMurry took a 68-54 win and survived a first half where UTD shot 52 percent from the floor and then held the Lady Comets to just 21 points and 41 percent shooting in the final period.
In the second half, UTD trailed just 44-41 before McMurry scored 15-straight points over the course of 6:29. Lauren Hale ended the drought for the Lady Comets with a 3-pointer with 5:59 remaining but UTD couldn't put together a run to rally. With the win McMurry advances by snapping a five-game win streak by UTD and extended its own streak to six.
McMurry will play the winner of the hosts, UT-Tyler and Mary Hardin-Baylor Saturday at 5 p.m. McMurry improved to 23-3 on the year while the Lady Comets' season ends with a 16-10 record.
Tarra Richardson finished the game with a game-leading 25 points and eight boards. The senior all-American was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line and was 9 of 12 from the field. Maigen Sawyer added 11 points, Allison Nelson had nine and Amber Horton and Dominique Brown each had eight points.
McMurry shot well both halves with a 50-percent effort in the first half, a 58 percent showing in the second period, and finished 27 of 50 from the field for 54 percent in the game.
Just 25 fouls were called in the game; McMurry converted on 11 of 13 free-throw attempts while UTD was only able to get to the line five times and made three. Hale and Ericka Baker scored 12 points apiece to lead the Lady Comets' losing effort. Jenise Langston had 11 points and McMurry held UT-Dallas' leading scorer Chelsea Edwards to only six points.
UT-Tyler is the No. 1 seed in the east division while Mary Hardin-Baylor is the No. 4 seed in the west division. McMurry beat UT-Tyler 81-78 at the Patriot Center Jan. 10 in a close contest. UMHB fell to McMurry twice on the season including last Saturday's loss to McMurry 61-54.
Hardin-Simmons and Howard Payne will square off on the other side of the bracket in the semi-finals Saturday. Howard Payne defeated Louisiana College by 15 points and Hardin-Simmons took a double-digit win over Mississippi College.
