Victory

[davish75]

SMU won over Indiana State (a team that was 9-1 with a win over K-State) this evening.

[mustangdm]

I hope we start getting votes again. We deserve some if 7-3 Texas can get ranked 17th.

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

SMU Claims Bahamas Sunsplash Championship With 69-54 Win Over Indiana State
Jilliam Samuels was named MVP of the Bahamas Sunsplash Shootout.

Dec. 20, 2009

NASSAU, Bahamas (SMU) - Jilliam Samuels scored 19 points to lead the SMU women's basketball team to the championship of the Bahamas Sunsplash Shootout with a 69-54 victory over Indiana State Sunday.

SMU (8-2) started 3-of-5 from 3-point range over the first five minutes of the second half to stretch the lead to 15, 41-26, and Samuels drained a trey to give SMU a 44-26 lead with 14:55 left in the game. The Mustangs made just one field goal over the next seven minutes, and Indiana State (9-2) took advantage of the Mustang cold spell, out-scoring SMU 15-2 during the span to cut the lead to five, 46-41.

Samuels ended the drought with a 3-point basket and Christine Elliott hit the free throw to convert a 3-point play on the next trip down the floor to give the Mustangs a 52-41 lead with seven minutes left.

Brittany Gilliam connected on a pair of three's on consecutive trips with 4:26 left to play to keep the lead at double-digits, 60-50. The senior picked the pocket of Indiana State's Kelsey Luna and hit the fast break layup, stretching the lead to 62-50 with less than three minutes left in the game.

After starting the game 4-for-11 from the field, the Mustangs and Sycamores were tied 9-9 after the first nine minutes of play. SMU closed the half 6-for-10 from the floor to go into the locker room leading 30-22.

The Mustangs shot 42-percent in the first half, knocking down 11-of-26 attempts, including 4-of-16 from 3-point range. Defensively, SMU held Indiana State to 29-percent from the floor. The Sycamores connected on 7-of-24 shots, but were 0-for-10 from behind the arc.

Raquel Christian was 3-for-4 in the first half, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range, to lead the Mustangs with 11 points, and grabbed four rebounds.

The Mustangs shot 38.6-percent for the game, connecting on 22-57 shots, including 11-of-34 from behind the arc. Samuels finished with a season-high 19 points, going 7-of-17 from the floor and 5-of-13 for three. Gilliam scored 15, her highest total in three games. Elliott kept her string of double-digit games going, scoring 11. The sophomore has scored at least 10 in each of the Mustangs' games this season.

SMU held Indiana State to 34.0-percent from the field, connecting on 17-of-50, but the Sycamores were just 2-for-17 from 3-point range. The Sycamores scored 18 points from the free-throw line, hitting 18-of-22 attempts in the game.

Elliott was named to the Bahamas Sunsplash Shootout All-Tournament Team, while Samuels earned Most Valuable Player for her effort.

The Mustangs return home to host Hofstra University Monday, Dec. 28 at 7 p.m. in Moody Coliseum.