SMU’s Wilkins Ties C-USA Record

DALLAS (SMU) – Freshman Gabrielle Wilkins recorded her first career double-double, including an SMU-record and Conference USA record-tying 10 steals, as the SMU women’s basketball team routed SIU Edwardsville, 64-46, Friday night on the first day of competition in the SMU Classic at Moody Coliseum.

The Mustangs (4-1) held the Cougars (2-3) to just five field goals in the first half and scoreless from the field from the 12:51 mark until the 1:43 mark, going on a 16-0 run to extend the SMU lead from 16-12 to 32-12. The Cougars sandwiched the Tierny Austin layup with four free throws to go into the locker room down 32-18.

SMU shot 37.5 percent in the first 20 minutes, going 12-of-32 from the field, while holding SIU-Edwardsville to a 22.7 percent shooting percentage, 5-of-22. SMU shot 50.0 percent in the second half to keep the advantage, finishing the game 47.1 percent from the field.

Wilkins scored a team-high 12 points, reaching double figures for the second time in three games, and Alisha Filmore scored 11 to hit double digits for the fifth time in as many games this season. The SMU bench out-scored the Cougars bench 37-14, and Akil Simpson grabbed a team-high six rebounds.

With seven steals in the first half, Wilkins tied Sharee Shepard with her ninth steal of the game with 6:51 left in the second half. The Garland, Texas native broke the record with 14 seconds left in the game when she swiped the ball away from Courtney Kenner for her 10th of the game in 25 minutes off the bench.

The Mustangs will play Montana State in the championship game tomorrow at 7 p.m. in Moody Coliseum. The Bobcats (3-0) advanced to the title game with a 58-52 win over Clemson in the second game on Friday.

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