PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana College women's basketball team had the top team in the American Southwest Conference reeling, taking a lead as the game neared the midway point of the third quarter, but the hopes of a senior day upset were dashed as the Lady Wildcats just ran out of gas late in a 71-40 loss to the Texas-Dallas Comets Saturday afternoon at H.O. West Fieldhouse.
 
As the team's only senior on senior day, it was only fitting that Mone't Cox open the scoring with a lay-up to give LC an early 2-0 lead. However, what followed was a 16-3 UTD run to open up an 11-point Comet advantage. But the Wildcats finished the period strong, pouring in the quarter's final six points to cut the deficit down to 16-11 heading to the second.
 
The Comets quickly pushed the lead back out to ten points in the second period, but an energized Lady Wildcat defense wouldn't allow UTD to pull away, allowing a LC 8-0 run to cut that deficit down to two as a Kayla Kinney jumper in the paint made the score 21-19 UTD with just more than three minutes left before halftime. A pair of free throws by Alexis Lege kept the deficit at two points, 23-21, as the two teams went to the halftime locker rooms.
 
After UTD got a bucket and foul to open the lead to five to start the third quarter, the Lady Wildcats scored the next eight points, including five straight by Kayla Kinney to tie the game, and then a trio of free throws by Jamaica James after she was fouled on a three-point attempt to give LC their first lead of the game since 2-0 at 29-26 with 6:15 left in the third quarter. But the Lady Wildcats just ran out of steam after taking the lead and the Comets took advantage, going on an 18-0 run to blow the game open before Maya Washington hit a free throw to close out the third quarter. The fourth quarter was just more of UTD pouring it on as the young 'Cats battled hard but could keep up no more.
 
So. G Kayla Kinney led the Lady Wildcat hopes for the upset by leading the team with 16 points. Fr. G ZyUnn Cormier had just six points but grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. Defense really kept LC in the game for the most part as the team finished the game hitting on 24.0% of their shots but were effective when they got to the free throw line, hitting 73.7% at the charity stripe.
 
The Lady Wildcats (5-17, 3-11 ASC) look to finish the season strong with its final road trip of the season, which starts on Thursday at LeTourneau. Tip-off against the Yellow Jackets (12-11, 8-6 ASC) is set for 5:30 P.M. at the Solheim Center.