Feb. 20, 2009

Season stats in PDF Format

Box score in PDF Format

HOUSTON, Texas (SMU) - Juniors Delisha Wills and Brittany Gilliam combined for 44 points and 17 rebounds, but it was not enough as the Houston Cougars rallied to knock off SMU, 75-73, at Hofheinz Pavilion in Houston.

Wills led the Mustangs with 22 points - one point shy of tying her career high - and tied her career high with 13 rebounds to post her third double-double of the season and the eighth of her career. Gilliam added 20 points - including a career-high four three-pointers - and a game-high eight assists.

Houston had taken its first lead of the second half when Taylor scored with 2:08 to put her team ahead, 69-68, but SMU junior Jillian Samuels answered with a three-pointer from about 25 feet to give the Mustangs their final lead of the night. The bomb was Samuels' 51st three-pointer of the season, tying her total from her freshman season as the eighth-highest single-season total in SMU history. Coupled with her school-record 72 that she hit in 2007-08, Samuels, who has at least one three-pointer in 24 of 26 games this season, now has three of the top nine single-season totals for three-pointers in the history of the program.

The loss dropped the Mustangs to 16-10 overall and 9-4 in Conference USA games, while UH improved to 17-8, 9-4.

Freshman center Christine Elliott also cracked double figures in the scoring column, scoring 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Elliott and sophomore Haley Day each had a pair of blocked shots for the Mustangs, whose six blocks were their second-highest team total this season.

The Mustangs now head across town to face the Rice Owls at 2 p.m. Sunday in a game that can be heard live on KAAM (770 AM) before returning home next weekend for the final two home games of the season.

For ticket information and a complete schedule, log on to SMUMustangs.com or call 214-SMU-GAME.