Women's basketball clinches C-USA Tournament bye

[PonyPride]

Junior Haley Day scored a game-high 22 points and came within one rebound of a double-double, and senior Brittany Gilliam recorded a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds as the SMU women's basketball team dumped Southern Miss, 81-66, Saturday afternoon at Moody Coliseum.

The victory improved SMU to 19-9 overall and 9-6 in Conference USA games. The Ponies, who were tied with Houston (which also won Saturday) for third place in the conference, are assured of finishing the regular season in no worse than fourth place — assuring SMU of one of four first-round byes in the conference tournament, which will be held March 8-12 in Tulsa.

The Mustangs have one game remaining in the regular season. SMU will host Tulsa at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Moody Coliseum. The game will be this year's Senior Night, marking the final game in the careers of seniors Brittany Gilliam, Jillian Samuels and Alice Severin.

If SMU beats Tulsa, the Ponies will win 20 games for the eighth time in the history of the program (all under Rompola), and the third time in as many years.

Head coach Rhonda Rompola said after the game that other than the victory itself — the 351st of her career — the most important result of the game was the bye the Ponies earned.

"That's what everybody works for," Rompola said of the extra day off at the beginning of the conference tournament. "That's even more important for us, because we play our starters a lot of minutes. I really can't find a lot of times when I can take (Gilliam), J.B. (Jillian Samuels) or (Day) out of the game."

Gilliam played 39 out of 40 minutes Saturday. Day played 36, and Samuels (despite foul trouble) played 31.

Day said after the game that the Mustangs were ready for a competitive effort from Southern Miss, despite the fact that the Golden Eagles hadn't won a road game all season.

"We know they would come in ready, because they hadn't won on the road," Day said, "and they were."

With senior forward Delisha Wills lost for the year, and senior post Alice Severin out for a couple of weeks, Day said she is not worried that the minutes she, Gilliam and Samuels are logging will wear them down as the postseason approaches.

"I don't (worry)," Day said. "But it's important to get that extra day of rest. We have a lot of big games coming up, and if we can hold on until Al (Severin) gets back, we'll be OK."

In addition to Day and Gilliam, three other Ponies scored in double figures: Samuels scored 15, post Heidi Brandenburg scored a career-high 11 (on 5-of-7 shooting) and guard Samantha Mahnesmith scored 10.

[CalallenStang]

Congrats to the women but there's still work to do

[ponyscott]

Congrats and with all their injuries, they really need that Bye in the tournament. Too bad they aren't at full strength but they are playing scrappy ball down the stretch, after the tough January games.

[smupony94]

Beat Tulsa

[MustangMac]

When will the tournament pairings/schedule be posted?

[Balatro Diabolus Ex]

First round pairings will be announced on Friday, but we already know that we have a first round bye, so we wont know our opponent until after the first round games on Monday.

Depending on the outcome of tomorrows games, we could finish 2nd, or in a tie for 3rd. Houston and Memphis both have to lose tomorrow for us to be the 2nd seed.

[Balatro Diabolus Ex]

Memphis lost tonight, creating a 3 way tie for 2nd place. If I understand the tie breakers right, Houston will be the 2nd seed in the tourney, SMU 3rd, and Memphis 4th. It looks like we will play the winner of UAB and Tulsa.