Second-half surge leads women's basketball past UIW

From SMUMustangs.com:
Second-Half Surge Leads SMU Past UIW
DALLAS (SMU) – SMU outscored UIW 20-3 in the third quarter en route to a 57-44 victory at Moody Coliseum Wednesday. The Mustangs for the eighth time in their last nine games.
SMU (9-3) erased the five-point halftime deficit when Reagan Bradley buried a 3-pointer at the 7:28 mark. The Cardinals (5-5) regained the lead for the final time when Breelyn Sanborn answered with three of her team-high 12 points, with 7:09 remaining in the frame. UIW failed to score for the next 13 minutes and 52 seconds, allowing SMU to build its largest advantage of the day with a 20-0 run.
Trailing 54-32, Jorga Elliott's triple with 3:36 left in the game ended a 0-for-11 stretch from the field for the Cardinals. With both teams playing their reserves, UIW hit three more 3-pointers for the final margin.
Chantae Embry posted a game-high 14 points, while Savannah Wilkinson led with eight rebounds. Tamia Jones paced the Mustangs with four assists, five steals and three blocks.
Knotted at 17-17 after the first 10 minutes, UIW carried a five-point halftime advantage by holding Mustangs to seven points in the second quarter.
The Cardinals shot 40.7% (11-27), including 7-for-13 (53.8%) from three-point range, while limiting SMU to 33.3% (8-24) from the floor. The Mustangs made 1-of-7 (14.3%) beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes. In the second half, SMU knocked down half of its 24 attempts and held the Cardinals to 25% (5-20), including 5-of-15 (33.3%) from distance. The Mustangs went 15-for-21 (71.4%) from the free-throw line. UIW converted 60% (3-of-5) at the stripe but failed to earn a trip to the line in the second half.
SMU opens American Athletic Conference play on the road, Friday, Dec. 30, at 7 p.m. against Houston.
SMU Points Leader: Chantae Embry (14)
SMU Rebounds Leader: Savannah Wilkinson (8)
SMU Assists Leader: Tamia Jones (4)
SMU Steals Leader: Tamia Jones (5)
SMU Blocks Leader: Tamia Jones (3)
TEAM RECORDS AND SERIES NOTES TEAM NOTES
• SMU improved to 9-3 on the season, while the Cardinals fell to 5-5.
• The Mustangs went 6-0 inside Moody Coliseum during non-conference play.
• UIW dropped to 0-4 on the road this season.
• SMU leads the all-time series 2-0, with both games contested at Moody Coliseum.
TEAM RECORDS
• SMU matched the 2013-14 team for the best start through 12 games a 9-3 since the 2009-10 squad went 10-2.
• The Mustangs' six-game home winning streak is the longest at Moody Coliseum since 2016-17, which went seven.
• SMU is one of four schools in The American with an unblemished home record during non-conference play.
• Wichita State (5-0) hosts S.C. State Dec. 27, while USF (7-0), Tulsa (7-0), and SMU enter league action unscathed.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
• Junior G Tamia Jones recorded seven points, six rebounds, four assists, five steals and three blocks.
• She matched her career high in boards and established new highs in steals and rejections.
• Freshman G Ella Brow accounted for nine points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and a rejection.
• She matched her season high in steals and blocks.
• Sophomore F Chantae Embry led all scorers with 14 points, adding four rebounds, one steal, one assist and a block.
• She netted her eighth double-digit scoring performance as a Mustang.
• Freshman G Jiya Perry netted seven points, with three rebounds, two assists and one steal.
• She equaled her collegiate best in each category.
• Senior F Savannah Wilkinson totaled seven points, eight rebounds, one assist and two steals.
• Senior G Reagan Bradley tallied six points, three rebounds and two assists in her first start since Nov. 29.
• Sophomore C Jessica Peterson chipped in with six points and three rebounds.
• Senior C Paige Bayliss and freshman C Zoe Manning saw action.
Second-Half Surge Leads SMU Past UIW
DALLAS (SMU) – SMU outscored UIW 20-3 in the third quarter en route to a 57-44 victory at Moody Coliseum Wednesday. The Mustangs for the eighth time in their last nine games.
SMU (9-3) erased the five-point halftime deficit when Reagan Bradley buried a 3-pointer at the 7:28 mark. The Cardinals (5-5) regained the lead for the final time when Breelyn Sanborn answered with three of her team-high 12 points, with 7:09 remaining in the frame. UIW failed to score for the next 13 minutes and 52 seconds, allowing SMU to build its largest advantage of the day with a 20-0 run.
Trailing 54-32, Jorga Elliott's triple with 3:36 left in the game ended a 0-for-11 stretch from the field for the Cardinals. With both teams playing their reserves, UIW hit three more 3-pointers for the final margin.
Chantae Embry posted a game-high 14 points, while Savannah Wilkinson led with eight rebounds. Tamia Jones paced the Mustangs with four assists, five steals and three blocks.
Knotted at 17-17 after the first 10 minutes, UIW carried a five-point halftime advantage by holding Mustangs to seven points in the second quarter.
The Cardinals shot 40.7% (11-27), including 7-for-13 (53.8%) from three-point range, while limiting SMU to 33.3% (8-24) from the floor. The Mustangs made 1-of-7 (14.3%) beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes. In the second half, SMU knocked down half of its 24 attempts and held the Cardinals to 25% (5-20), including 5-of-15 (33.3%) from distance. The Mustangs went 15-for-21 (71.4%) from the free-throw line. UIW converted 60% (3-of-5) at the stripe but failed to earn a trip to the line in the second half.
SMU opens American Athletic Conference play on the road, Friday, Dec. 30, at 7 p.m. against Houston.
SMU Points Leader: Chantae Embry (14)
SMU Rebounds Leader: Savannah Wilkinson (8)
SMU Assists Leader: Tamia Jones (4)
SMU Steals Leader: Tamia Jones (5)
SMU Blocks Leader: Tamia Jones (3)
TEAM RECORDS AND SERIES NOTES TEAM NOTES
• SMU improved to 9-3 on the season, while the Cardinals fell to 5-5.
• The Mustangs went 6-0 inside Moody Coliseum during non-conference play.
• UIW dropped to 0-4 on the road this season.
• SMU leads the all-time series 2-0, with both games contested at Moody Coliseum.
TEAM RECORDS
• SMU matched the 2013-14 team for the best start through 12 games a 9-3 since the 2009-10 squad went 10-2.
• The Mustangs' six-game home winning streak is the longest at Moody Coliseum since 2016-17, which went seven.
• SMU is one of four schools in The American with an unblemished home record during non-conference play.
• Wichita State (5-0) hosts S.C. State Dec. 27, while USF (7-0), Tulsa (7-0), and SMU enter league action unscathed.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
• Junior G Tamia Jones recorded seven points, six rebounds, four assists, five steals and three blocks.
• She matched her career high in boards and established new highs in steals and rejections.
• Freshman G Ella Brow accounted for nine points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and a rejection.
• She matched her season high in steals and blocks.
• Sophomore F Chantae Embry led all scorers with 14 points, adding four rebounds, one steal, one assist and a block.
• She netted her eighth double-digit scoring performance as a Mustang.
• Freshman G Jiya Perry netted seven points, with three rebounds, two assists and one steal.
• She equaled her collegiate best in each category.
• Senior F Savannah Wilkinson totaled seven points, eight rebounds, one assist and two steals.
• Senior G Reagan Bradley tallied six points, three rebounds and two assists in her first start since Nov. 29.
• Sophomore C Jessica Peterson chipped in with six points and three rebounds.
• Senior C Paige Bayliss and freshman C Zoe Manning saw action.