DALLAS – The East Texas A&M University women's basketball team erased a 15-point deficit and tied the game in the fourth quarter, but lost to the SMU Mustangs,78-65, on Sunday night at the Moody Coliseum.
ET finished with 42 bench points and 34 points in the paint, while SMU held a 35-30 rebounding edge. ET has recorded at least four blocks in three consecutive games. The loss drops the Lions to 1-2 this season and 0-2 all-time against the Mustangs, who are now 3-0 on the year.
The Lions spent the first quarter working back from SMU's 15-0 opening run.
Samantha Serrano (New York, N.Y.) got ET on the board with two free throws, and the visitors received 13 bench points in the quarter. A late 3-pointer from
Cora Horvath (Oberwart, Austria) and Serrano's jumper helped ET close the quarter trailing 23-16.
ET flipped the second quarter with a 23-point frame, taking a 27-26 lead on a layup from
Jeriyah Baines (Killeen – Legion Prep Academy) off an assist from
Cora Horvath at 4:22. After the Mustangs tied it at 29,
Terrayah McCoy (Princeton) answered with a 3-pointer, and Baines later added a 3-pointer to help ET go into halftime ahead 39-34.
ET scored 11 points on 4-for-15 shooting in the third quarter, as the Mustangs worked back after a layup from
Rezia Castillo (Houston – Clear Brook) gave ET a 41-34 lead at 9:42. McCoy hit a 3-pointer to put ET ahead 44-40, and
Jailynn Brill (Lincoln, Neb.) later finished a layup off
Cora Horvath's assist to tie it at 48. Serrano's two free throws gave ET a 50-49 lead with 2:32 left, but SMU scored the final five points to take a 54-50 advantage into the fourth.
After the Mustangs went ahead 59-50 early in the fourth quarter, ET answered with a push that tied the game at 61-61 on Baines' two free throws with 5:22 left. Brill helped keep ET close, including a layup off
Cora Horvath's assist that made it 69-65 with 2:22 remaining. SMU scored the final nine points of the game.
Brill scored a team-high and season-high 16 points, added four rebounds, a season-high four assists, and committed no turnovers. Serrano finished with 12 points and converted 6 of 6 free throws. Serrano has recorded at least 12 points in three consecutive games.
Baines added a season-high 12 points, five rebounds, two assists and two 3-pointers. Baines made two 3-pointers and dished out two assists for the first time this season. McCoy posted a season-high 10 points, four rebounds, a season-high two steals and a season-high two 3-pointers. Castillo recorded a season-high four assists.
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The Lions return home to host Louisiana on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at
LionAthletics.com/tickets.
-ETAMU-
