SMU Wins 2008 C-USA Women's Basketball Title
March 9, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. - In a second half filled with momentum changing runs, the second-seeded SMU Mustangs were able to take control down the stretch to come away with a 73-57 upset win over top-seeded UTEP to capture their first C-USA Women's Basketball Championship and first conference title overall since 1999 Sunday in Orlando, Fla. The Mustangs (24-8) snapped UTEP's 23-game win streak with the win and will be making their first NCAA appearance since going to back-to-back tournaments in 1999 and 2000. SMU became the first C-USA school to win the postseason championship after dropping its final two regular season games. Leading 30-20 early in the second half, SMU appeared to be in control of the game inside the UCF Arena. However, UTEP would not go away and put together an 18-0 run to take their first lead in the contest. The Miners eventually went ahead 38-30 with 12:41 left to play. During the surge, league MVP Jareica Hughes and teammate Natasha Lacy combined for 12 of UTEP's 18 points. SMU then responded with a 17-0 run of its own over the next six minutes to take a 47-38 lead with 6:53 remaining. The run began with Delisha Wills knocking down two free throws. Brittany Gilliam scored three straight points on free throw and a jumper, before Championship MVP Janielle Dodds scored on a layup to tie the game at 38. All-Tournament team member Sharee Shepherd hit a 12-foot jumper to re-claim the lead for SMU and Wills hit two more free throws to push the lead to 42-38. Dodds then hit a jumper and Katy Cobb hit a deep 3-pointer to put SMU in control. The Mustangs were able to knock down free throws to salt away the victory. Four players scored in double figures for SMU, led by Gilliam's 20. The sophomore added seven rebounds and two steals. Shepherd tallied 17 and was a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line. The 12 free throws made were a C-USA Championship game record and were also the second most ever attempted in a final game. She was also just the second player ever to go perfect from the line in a championship game with at least nine attempts. Freshman LeShandra Hill finished with 11 points, while Dodds tallied 10 and added a team-high 11 rebounds, 10 on the defensive end. As a team, SMU made 29 charities, also a championship game record and scored 17 points off of 18 UTEP turnovers. Izabela Piekarska led all scorers with 21 points and added 10 rebounds for her sixth double-double. Hughes added 19 points and Lacy chipped in with 15. Tamika Williams was the only other Miner to score, adding two points. Hughes helped on some late UTEP baskets as her team tried to cut into the SMU lead and finished with five assists and four steals. The Mustangs led at the break, 25-20. Both teams played stifling defense that caused their respective offenses to struggle. SMU shot just 34 percent in the half, while UTEP checked in at 28 percent. SMU held a 16-8 advantage in points scored in the paint, while also dominating the second chance points, 10-4. Piekarska led all scorers in the first half, scoring 14 of UTEP's 20 points. SMU's bench out-scored UTEP's reserves 11-0 in the first stanza. The NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship bracket will be announced Monday, March 17. SMU is C-USA's automatic bid to the Big Dance, while UTEP (27-3) should have a good chance to receive an at-large bid. 2008 C-USA All-Tournament Team Championship Game Records Set or Tied:
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