Box Score | Season Stats

DALLAS (SMU) - The SMU Mustangs held a three-point lead at halftime, but could not hold on as the visiting Cincinnati Bearcats won 56-46 at Moody Coliseum on Saturday afternoon.

SMU (6-22, 2-15 The American) celebrated the careers of seniors Raven Short and Rochelle Lauer prior to the game.

The two teams exchanged 10-0 runs to end the first half. Cincinnati (7-21, 4-13) held SMU scoreless from for almost five minutes, taking a 17-10 lead with less than six minutes to go in the period. The Mustangs responded with their own 10-0 run, keeping the Bearcats off the scoreboard for the final 5:43 of the first half and taking a 20-17 lead into the break. The 17 points was the fewest that SMU has allowed in any half this season.

SMU opened the second half with a spark from sophomore guard Morgan Bolton, who drilled a three-pointer and then promptly stole the ball on defense and turned it into a fast-break layup to put the Mustangs up by eight at the 17:33 mark.

After a timeout, Cincinnati responded with nine straight points, taking a 26-25 lead at 14:58. Neither team would lead by more than four from that point until there was less than four minutes remaining, when the Bearcats closed the game on a 13-4 run over the final 3:54.

SMU had a season-high 11 blocks in the contest, led by three-each by Short andfreshmanStephanie Collins. The Mustangs extended their single-season blocks record to 156. The previous record was 142 in 2005-06.

Junior Destynee Hives-McCray led SMU with 13 points off the bench. Collins had 10 points, while Bolton had nine points and four steals. Short also had four steals in a season-high 36 minutes in her final home game. Lauer, who made her second start of the season, played 10 minutes.

The Mustangs will close out the regular season with a trip to Memphis for a 7 p.m. CT meeting on Monday.