Comeback Effort Falls Short AsSMU Falls To Wake (with VIDEO)

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

Comeback Effort Comes Up Short As Mustangs Fall To Wake Forest
Mahnesmith led SMU with 12 points; Short scores career-high 11

Dec. 21, 2011

DALLAS (SMU) - Raven Short scored a career-high 11 points, Sabrina McKinney added 10 and Samantha Mahnesmith led the Mustangs with 12 points, but the trio couldn't lead SMU to a comeback victory over Wake Forest as the Demon Deacons held on to win 65-53 in Moody Coliseum Wednesday night.

The Mustangs (6-5) erased an 18-point first half deficit to tie the game 51-51 with less than nine minutes left in the game, but Wake Forest (8-3) hit six free throws down the stretch to secure the victory. The Demon Deacons shot 51.6-percent in the first half to take a nine-point lead into the lockerroom.

SMU finished shooting 34.5-percent from the field, including a 40.0-percent clip from 3-point range (6-of-15). Mahnesmith sank three from long range for nine of her 12 points. Short and McKinney were each 4-of-6 from the field. Short and Akil Simpson each led the Mustangs with seven rebounds.

With SMU trailing by eight points with nearly 13 minutes left in the game, Simpson was called for a foul and a technical foul which seemed to spark the Mustangs emotionally. After Lakevia Boykin a pair of free throws, the Mustangs went on a 14-4 run to tie the game, but were unable to take the lead down the stretch.

For the Mustangs, it was just the second loss at home this season. SMU will host UTSA Wednesday at 7 p.m. before concluding 2011 and the non-conference schedule at home against Stephen F. Austin on Friday, Dec. 30, at 7 p.m.

[PonyPlayer4]

Our ladies are playing some big time schools

[Vitale]

We played well, too. Wake was very big and extremely athletic -- they had a bunch of players who were over 6 feet and could really jump. They killed us on the boards, but we hung tough. Early on, I was afraid we'd get smoked, but our ladies showed some major grit hanging tough with Wake. I was impressed.