SMU women’s basketball defeats UCF

DALLAS (SMU) – Delisha Wills led the Mustangs with 16 points in SMU’s 70-63 win over UCF Sunday in Moody Coliseum. Wills was one of three Mustangs to reach double-figures in the game in which SMU (9-8, 2-2 Conference USA) never trailed the Knights (10-7, 3-1 C-USA).

SMU opened an eight point lead, 16-8, over the first eight minutes, but UCF closed the gap with 4:15 to go in the first half. The Knights tied the game at 25-25, but it was the last time they would be even with the Mustangs on the scoreboard.

The Mustangs stretched the lead back to seven over the last four minutes to take a 38-31 lead into the lockerroom at halftime. SMU led by as many as nine points with as little as 4:23 to go in the game. UCF battled to within one with just over two minutes remaining, but Haley Day and Samantha Mahnesmith each went 4-for-4 at the foul line to seal the victory.

Mahnesmith finished with 15 points, reaching double-figures for the fourth straight game, and Day added 11 points. Christine Elliott added eight points and a team-high eight rebounds.

SMU finished the game shooting 45.7-percent from the field, 21-of-46, and 41.7-percent from 3-point range, 5-of-12. The Mustangs connected on 23-of-26 free-throws, 88.5-percent, making 18-of-19 in the second half and 8-of-8 in the last 1:36.

UCF shot 41.1-percent, 23-of-56, but made just 31.6-percent of shots from beyond the arc, 6-of-19.

The Mustangs return to Moody Coliseum on Sunday, Jan. 23, to host UTEP at 2 p.m.