SMU earns first AAC win at Cincinnati

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

Mustangs Open 2014 With 54-43 Win At Cincinnati
SMU Earns First American Athletic Conference Win, Improves To 10-3

Jan. 1, 2014

CINCINNATI (SMU) - Keena Mays scored 15 points, eclipsing 1,000 for her career including points at Kansas, to lead the Mustangs to a 54-43 win at Cincinnati for their first American Athletic Conference victory on New Year's Day Wednesday afternoon at the Fifth Third Arena. SMU improves to 10-3, 1-1 The American, with the win, while Cincinnati falls to 7-6, 1-1 The American.

Mays went 6-for-14, including three 3-pointers, and also had six rebounds and three assists. Akil Simpson hit double-digits for the 12th time this season, tallying 13 points in the game to get to within seven of 1,000 career points. The Mustangs out-rebounded the Bearcats 35-25, led by nine from Raven Short and a career-high seven from Korina Baker.

The Mustangs opened the game up with a 24-11 run from the four-minute mark of the first half through the halfway point of the second frame, taking a 49-32 lead with just over 10 minutes left in the contest. The 17-point advantage was the largest of the game.

SMU led 29-21 at halftime with Mays contributing 10 points at that point. Cincinnati shot just 32.1 percent from the floor compared to SMU's 46.4 percent in the period. After tying the game at 2-2 less than three minutes in, SMU went on an 18-5 run over the next 7:14 to take a 20-7 lead with 10 minutes left in the half.

The Bearcats would cut SMU's lead to four points, 25-21, with three minutes remaining, but Gabrielle Wilkins and Baker collected the last two buckets of the half to take an eight-point edge into halftime. Baker's score came on a fastbreak layup after she intercepted a pass when Cincinnati was trying to hold for the last shot of the half.

Cincinnati was held to 36 percent shooting for the game, and SMU also dominated in the paint, doubling up the Bearcats near the rim, 28-14.

The Mustangs will return home for the first game in the newly-renovated Moody Coliseum on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. against USF. The renovation included an improved main entry lobby, expanded concourses with raised ceilings, club seats, loge boxes, private suites, group suites, a new event space, offices, new lockers rooms and meeting spaces, as well as a new team store and concession spaces. Saturday will open with the men's team hosting Connecticut prior to the women's game.

[Terry Webster]

Terrific game by the Ponies. I was really impressed with Baker. She did a really good job keeping the team under control and played terrific defense and passed really well.

[mrydel]

Good job representing SMU Terry.

[Terry Webster]

There were about 15 of us there. My favorite person was an older woman really into the game. Whenever we shot an air ball (2-3 times), the Uc band would start the airball chant. This great women would start yelling back 'scoreboard, scoreboard' ...loved her.

[Longtime]

You really should put "WBB" somewhere in the subject line when referring to the women's team. Headlines can be confusing with both the men's and women's teams playing. Great win for Rhonda and the gang.

[ponyscott]

You really should put "WBB" somewhere in the subject line when referring to the women's team. Headlines can be confusing with both the men's and women's teams playing. Great win for Rhonda and the gang.

Agree...it's really annoying NOT to put Womens basketball on the thread. PP always does that and I have mentioned that to him many times, but to no avail. Unprofessional IMHO.

[White Helmet]

Shouldn't he have to but Mens Basketball in those thread titles as well?

[ponyscott]

Shouldn't he have to but Mens Basketball in those thread titles as well?

Yep. Just a simple M and/or W would suffice.

[Grant Carter]

Just use your context clues.

[Treadway21]

You really should put "WBB" somewhere in the subject line when referring to the women's team. Headlines can be confusing with both the men's and women's teams playing. Great win for Rhonda and the gang.

Agree...it's really annoying NOT to put Womens basketball on the thread. PP always does that and I have mentioned that to him many times, but to no avail. Unprofessional IMHO.

Ditto. Irritating.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[PonyPride]

Sorry. I often just copy the headline on the press release from the school, so if it says "SMU" or "Mustangs" or "Ponies," that often will appear here (see the post-game notes thread — SMU put "MBB" so that's the way it reads here, too). Sometimes I remember to differentiate … but it's good to read up on both teams, anyway. We will try to remember to clarify, but I promise we won't get every one.
Come watch both teams, and you'll know which thread applies to which team!

[ponyscott]

No worries we just have to [deleted] about something....lol...thanks for the response and All of your great hard work and great reporting for the Ponies. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AND PONYFANS!!

[Treadway21]

Agreed again with PonyScott. thanks for the all the info and your hard work.

It's a pet peeve of mine and all the sports outlets do it. Happens with Soccer too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Digetydog]

It would be better if you identified SMU Men and SMU Women in your headlines.

[mrydel]

Or SMU Baaketball and SMU Basketnoball.