Elliott’s Season-High 16 Points Lifts Mustangs Over East Carolina 68-44
DALLAS (SMU) – Christine Elliott scored a season-high 16 points and Heidi Brandenburg scored a career-high 12 points to lead the Mustangs to a 68-44 victory over East Carolina in Moody Coliseum on Sunday. With the win, SMU improved to 10-8 overall and 3-2 in Conference USA, while ECU fell to 6-11, 0-5 in C-USA.
The Mustangs shot 40.0-percent in the first half to take a 31-23 lead into the locker room, holding ECU scoreless from the field for more than seven and a half minutes late in the first half. After Bryelle Smith scored a 3-pointer for ECU to open the second half, the Mustangs went on an 18-2 run over the next nine minutes to extend the lead to 49-28. The Pirates, who never led in the game, didn’t get within 17 points the rest of the way.
Elliott went 7-for-11 from the field and added a pair of free throws, reaching double-figures for the first time in conference action, and grabbed seven rebounds. Brandenburg was 5-of-7 from the field and had five rebounds, and Alisha Filmore scored 10 points with four assists.
SMU finished the game shooting 45.6-percent from the field, connecting on 26-of-57 attempts, while holding ECU to just 15 field goals on 49 attempts, 30.6-percent. The SMU defense also forced the Pirates into 20 turnovers with 12 steals, resulting in 22 points for the Mustangs. SMU won the rebounding battle 39-33, and scored 38 points in the paint.
The Mustangs next game is Thursday night in Orlando, Fla., against UCF at 6 p.m. CT. SMU then returns home to take on Tulsa in Moody Coliseum on Sunday at 2 p.m.
