Mustangs Defeat Stephen F. Austin 69-59

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From SMUMustangs.com:

Mustangs Defeat Stephen F. Austin 69-59

Dec. 30, 2010

NACOGDOCHES, Texas (SMU) - Raquel Christian scored 18 points to lead the SMU women's basketball team to a 69-59 win over Stephen F. Austin Thursday night. Christian led a trio of Mustangs who reached double-figures as the Mustangs improved to 7-5, while SFA fell to 3-9.

The Mustangs opened the game shooting 50-percent from the field at the first media timeout with 15:48 on the clock, but took just four shots compared to five turnovers. The Ladyjacks started on a 7-2 run before SMU scored six straight to take their first lead of the game, 8-7, with just over 15 minutes to go before the break.

The two teams went back and forth over the next eight minutes before Samantha Mahnesmith hit a three with 7:15 left giving SMU a 23-18 lead and forcing SFA to call a timeout. The Ladyjacks came out of the timeout and evened the game at 25 with 4:34 left. The SMU defense allowed just three points, closing out the half on a 12-3 run to take a 37-28 lead into the locker room.

"It was important for us to finish the half strong," head coach Rhonda Rompolasaid. "We were a little sluggish after the Christmas break. I felt like they had an advantage having played Tuesday."

Christian, who hasn't reached double-figures since the Nov. 26 Arkansas State game, posted 15 in the first half to lead SMU. The Mustangs shot 48.4-percent as a team, led by Christian's 7-of-10 performance in the first period.

"Raquel (Christian) is a good shooter. She has been shooting well in practice and just needs to take those same shots in the games," Rompola said of the night's leading scorer.

After the Ladyjacks scored on their first possession, Christian drained her second three of the game to spark a 7-2 run for the Mustangs to open the second half, stretching the lead to 44-30. The Ladyjacks chipped away at the lead, cutting it to five, 48-43, before Christine Elliott and Haley Day hit back-to-back buckets to nine, 52-43 with nine minutes to play. Day hit a three on the Mustangs' next trip to make it a seven-point run, pushing the lead back to 12.

The Mustangs kept the double-digit advantage, making 4-of-4 free throws in the final minutes of the game to earn the 10-point victory. Elliott finished with 15 points and eight rebounds, and Mahnesmith scored 10 to give the Mustangs three players in double-digits.

SMU shot 45.9-percent from the field, connecting on 28-of-61 shots including 6-of-21 from 3-point range. The Mustangs held the Ladyjacks to a 35.8 shooting percentage and held Tammara Marion, who averages over 17 points a game, to eight points. Courtney Conwright led the Ladyjacks with 14 points.

The Mustangs will conclude the non-conference portion of the season against Wake Forest on Jan. 3 in Winston Salem, N.C., at 6 p.m.