REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Women's Basketball team (2-2) came up five points short, 56-51, for the second-straight game as they lost to the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) on Saturday night inside Currier Gym.
It was a fast start for the Bulldogs thanks to Alex Facelo (San Jose, CA) who caught fire from behind the arc, connecting on a pair of three's. Leila Hosn (Seattle, WA) and Colbi Zorich (Kenmore, WA) also scored giving UR an early 10-2 lead.
The Comets cut the lead down to one with 5:23 to play, but the U of R defensive unit held them to four points the rest of the way as Facelo made another three followed by AJ Wick (Henderson, NV) getting on the scoresheet to help the Bulldogs to a 16-13 lead after 10 minutes.
After a 7-0 start for UTD in the second period, Redlands found themselves down by four. But Wick would find Zorich for a jumper in the paint and Wick would add a free throw to get UR within one.
Following a scoreless drought for both teams that spanned more than five minutes, the Comets finished with the final four points of the half as they led 24-19 at the break.
After a lack of points in the run of play in the second, each team got to the line combining for the first six points in the third quarter.
After a total of 17 points in the second, the two sides combined for 19 in the first six minutes out of the half. Zorich made it a two-point deficit with a pair of free throws.
Heading to the fourth it was 39-36 Comets after 19 of the 32 combined points came at the line, which was needed as the two teams shot a combined 6-for-24 from the field.
Across the final 10:00 minutes Facelo kept the Bulldogs alive with a pair of important, deep threes to keep them within two possessions, trailing 50-46 with 3:49 to play.
Then a third Facelo three with 1:24 cut the lead to one. The defense followed it up with a stop, but a pair of missed threes in the final :40 seconds gave the Comets the ball up one with :34 seconds to play.
The problem for the Bulldogs was they needed to commit four fouls to put the Comets in the bonus, as they had been whistled for only one to that point. The time needed to commit the fouls took it all the way down to the six-second mark.
UTD would then put it away with four made free throws to ice the game.
Wick finished with her fourth straight double double of 16 points and 16 rebounds. This is her fourth career 16 plus rebound game. Facelo had a career and game-high 18 points thanks to six made threes, tying her for the seventh most in program history.
The Bulldogs held the Comets to just 30.5 percent shooting and 30 percent from three, but they only managed to shoot only 31.4 percent themselves.
Redlands will remain at home next week as they start Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play on Wednesday, November 20 inside Currier Gym against Pomona-Pitzer at 7:00 p.m.
