LAS VEGAS (SMU) – Sydne Wiggins scored a career-high 26 points to lead all scorers, and
Savannah Wilkinson posted her fifth double-double in as many games. However, SMU's comeback effort came up just short as the Mustangs went down 70-66 to Seattle in the first game of the South Point Shootout in Las Vegas Thursday night.
Wilkinson finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Wiggins shot 47.1 percent going 8-for-17 from the field and 4-of-8 from 3-point range.
Jasmine Smith scored eight points with three assists.
The Mustangs outscored Seattle 26-17 in the fourth quarter, shooting 44.4 percent with eight field goals and three 3-pointers, but the deficit was going into the last 10 minutes proved to be too great.
SMU held Seattle scoreless from outside the arc for the entire first quarter, 0-for-7, and the Redhawks missed their first nine 3-point attempts overall, but still led after the first 10 minutes, 14-12. It was the next two quarters when Seattle started to build its lead.
Despite a 41.7 shooting percentage in the second quarter that saw SMU score 16 points, Seattle held a seven-point lead at halftime, 35-28. The Redhawks found their range in the third, going 4-for-6 outside the arc, stretching the lead to 13 with 10 minutes left.
The Mustangs trailed by as many as 16 points in the fourth, but battled all the way back to within two points, 68-66. It was then that Wiggins made her fourth triple of the game, but there were just four second remaining. After a quick foul, Seattle sank both free throws to stretch it back to a two-possession game with just 3.7 seconds on the clock.
SMU finished the game shooting 34.9 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from behind the arc. Seattle shot 45.8 percent from the field, but managed just a 28.6 shooting percentage from 3-point range, with each team sinking six 3-pointers.
Reagan Bradley tallied a game-high five assists, and
Jasmine Smith had three assists and eight points.
Danielle Sanderlin grabbed eight rebounds and scored six points, while
Paige Bayliss pulled down seven boards and scored four points.
SMU ends a stretch of three straight road games Saturday against Green Bay at 3 p.m. CT/1 p.m. PT. The contest will conclude action in the South Point Shootout for the Mustangs.
