SMU Women Fall To UALR
DALLAS (SMU) – The comeback effort came up short for the Mustangs Monday night as SMU suffered its first loss of the season against Arkansas-Little Rock, falling 47-43 in Moody Coliseum despite a double-double from Akil Simpson and an 11-point performance from Alisha Filmore.
Trailing by five down 39-34 with just over four minutes left in the game, Filmore connected on the first SMU 3-point basket to pull the Mustangs (3-1) to within two points, 39-37 with 4:19 left. A little more than a minute and a half later, Filmore answered a bucket by the Trojans (2-1) with another 3-pointer to cut the lead to one, 41-40 with 2:45 to play. The Trojans held onto the lead, and made four free throws in the last 32 seconds to escape Moody Coliseum with the win.
The Mustangs trailed by nine at halftime after a slow start combined with a solid defensive effort by the Trojans netted SMU just 30 points in the first 20 minutes. SMU started the second half on a 7-2 run to get within four, and held Taylor Gault, who came into the game averaging more than 24 points a game, to seven points in the second half on 2-of-8 from the field, but the sophomore went 3-for-4 at the free throw line in the last minute to finish with a game-high 15 points.
Simpson scored a team-high 14 points, going 5-of-10 from the field and 4-for-5 from the free throw line, and grabbed 12 rebounds, six offensive and six defensive, for her first double-double of the season and the 11th of her career. Filmore posted her fourth straight double-digit performance with 11 points and a season-high seven rebounds. Freshman Lexus Williams had her best game of the season, posting new highs with eight points and nine rebounds.
SMU hosts its annual Hoops for the Cure Thanksgiving tournament Friday and Saturday, facing SIU-Edwardsville in Moody Coliseum at 5 p.m. Friday. Clemson will play Montana State in the second game at 7 p.m. The championship game will be held at 7 p.m. on Saturday, while the consolation game will tip at 5 p.m.
