Mayville, N.D - The Comets Women's Basketball team hosted the University of Minnesota-Morris Cougars in a non-conference contest Tuesday at the Lewy Lee Fieldhouse. Mayville State pressured the Cougars into 32 turnovers and hit 16 three pointers enroute to an 83-57 win.

The Comets started slowly on the evening by missing their first seven shots and fell behind 4-1 four minutes into the game. Mayville State fired up quickly with an 11 point run to claim the lead at 12-4.

"It was nice to see us shoot the ball well again tonight. We came out a big flat, but after a few minutes I felt we started to pick it up," said head coach Dennis Hutter.

Late in the quarter, the Comets rattled off five straight points and led 19-10 after one quarter of play.

The Comets continued that run in the second, as they scored the first six points to boost the lead to 25-10. The Cougars went on an 8-0 run of their own later in the period to slice the lead to nine at 32-23.

Consecutive threes by Jes Mertens and Mackenzie Hughes bumped the lead back to 15, where it held to halftime at 40-25.

Mayville State opened the third quarter bombing away from three point land, as their first five baskets were triples. This opened up a 55-32 advantage for the Comets with three minutes left to play.

Another three by Hughes at the end of the quarter gave the Comets a 62-36 lead with ten minutes to go.

In the fourth, the Cougars were able to get some offense going, but the Comets matched them point for point. The lead never fell below 20 points as Mayville State cruised to an 83-57 victory.

Hughes led all scorers with 23 points and also collected four steals. Alex Page connected on five treys and finished with 17 points, and Jordan Zrust added 16 points, pulled down nine rebounds and swiped four steals.

The Comets record now stands at 6-2. Mayville State heads down to Florida for the Thanksgiving break for two games on the weekend.

"It always feels nice to be back home playing in front of our home crowd. We feed off of the energy from our crowd so it was fun to be back in the Lewy Lee," commented Hutter. The Comets last home game was Oct 29th.

Emma Passa Senior Night:

Emma Passa was recognized tonight as she will leave at semester break to student teach and be closer to home.  Emma came to Mayville State after a year at The University of Mary.  She has been a part of the Comet Women's Basketball team for the past two and a half years. 

While Emma's career may not have gone how she would have liked on the floor, she has been a valuable member of the team during her time here at Mayville State. 

"Emma is an amazing teammate and one of the most generous and caring people you will come across.  She is always one of the first players to ask where she can help. Her effort and attitude are infectious, and she has a smile and a laugh that we will never forget," said head coach Dennis Hutter. "Emma plays basketball with grit and toughness. Off the floor, Emma is one of the most compassionate people and will make an amazing teacher in the near future."

She will graduate from Mayville State this spring with a degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Early Childhood Education.  Emma is the daughter of Michelle and Greg Passa. Emma is the sister of Miles Passa, who women's basketball held a fundraiser for Tuesday night.

Miles Strong Fundraiser:

Tonight, Comet Women's Basketball team hosted a "Miles Strong Night." Miles is the younger brother of Comet Women's Basketball player, Emma Passa and softball player, Olivia Passa. All of the proceeds that were raised tonight, will go directly to the Passa Family to help with medical expenses for Miles and his current battle with cancer. 

Coach Hutter said, "Thanks to everyone who came out to support our Miles Strong Night. It is what makes our community so great. The ability to come together to help a great family. Comet Proud!"