SMU W-Basketball Falls To Tulane, 62-58

NEW ORLEANS, La. (SMU) – Samantha Mahnesmith scored 16 points and Raquel Christian added 14, but it wasn’t enough as Tulane knocked off the SMU women’s basketball team 62-58. With the loss, SMU fell to 7-7, 0-1 in Conference USA, while Tulane improved to 12-2, 1-0 C-USA.

The Mustangs, playing without leading scorer Delisha Wills due to injury, held the Green Wave to the second lowest point total of the season, but came up just short against the defending conference champions.

For the second straight game, Christian scored 10 points in a half. This time, however, it was the first half to lead the Mustangs to a 31-29 lead at the break. The Mustangs shot just 32.4-percent from the field in the first half, connecting on 11-of-34 shots, but made eight free throws in nine attempts.

The Mustangs earned their first lead, in what was a back-and-forth contest, with 8:08 on the clock on a put-back by Christine Elliott. Tulane’s largest lead of the first period was seven, 15-8 with 14 minutes left. The Mustangs scored eight unanswered points in the next 1:09 to even the game at 15-15. SMU’s largest lead was five, 24-19 with 7:34 remaining before the break.

The second half was just as back-and-forth as the first half, with the game including 10 ties and six lead changes. Tulane pushed the lead to eight, 56-48, with 4:04 to go in the game, but the Mustangs battled their way to within one, 56-55, with 1:21 to go in the game. However, Roshaunda Barnes scored six of her team-high 15 points in the final minute to preserve the win for the Green Wave.

SMU finished the game shooting 38.2-percent from the field, but went 12-of-13 from the free-throw line. Akil Simpson led the Mustangs with 11 rebounds and scored nine points, and Christine Elliott scored eight points with 10 boards.

Tulane shot 40-percent from the field, and finished with four players in double-figures.

The Mustangs return home to host Houston on Sunday, Jan. 9, at 2 p.m.

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