Junior transfer Keena Mays led the team in scoring all season but went 2-20 Thursday in the 58-46 loss to Rice. (Courtesy of SMU Athletics)
No confetti fell down at the conclusion of last night’s game and no friendly nets were ready to be cut, but the biggest missing piece of this game was a proper ending.
SMU’s Lady Mustangs (21-8 overall, 12-4 in C-USA) completed a dream of a regular season and their first conference championship since 2009 with a forgettable performance in a 58-46 loss versus their conference rival Rice Owls in Houston.
SMU’s 46 points, a team-low for conference play, were scored from a feeble 27 percent shooting on 17-of-63 from the field.
The Mustangs made just four 3-pointers against a Rice defense that has allowed opponents an average of 61 points per contest.
Although the blame for the Mustangs’ troubles was definitely a team effort, SMU’s standout guard, Keena Mays, chose a horrible time to have her worst game of the season.
Mays scored just six points on 2-of-20 shots and was forced into three turnovers.
To Mays’ credit, she led the team with five steals and hauled in four rebounds, but her inability to produce any scoring was a detriment to the team.
If there were any bright spots on the part of the Mustangs, the play of sophomore forward Destynee Hives-McCray stood out. Hives-McCray led the team with 16 points and 13 rebounds, seven of them coming on missed shots by her teammates.
Along with Hives-McCray, senior guard Alisha Filmore finished her regular season career with another double-digit scoring night, tallying 13 points, nine of those coming from beyond the arc.
Despite the struggles on offense, the Lady Mustangs put on a decent show on defense, holding Rice to 40 percent from the field and forcing 23 turnovers but for just six points.
SMU struggled to get into their normal offensive groove in the first half of the game, shooting under 30 percent, but found itself up 24-20 going into halftime.
After the break, Rice took control, scoring 38 points and never looking back after taking its first lead with just under five minutes played in the second half.
The Mustangs on the other hand could not find a way to get a basket, scoring their first field goal after more than five minutes had gone by in the second half.
The Owls never looked back and took control over a sloppy SMU side that committed nearly three times as many turnovers as assists, 18-7.
Even with the loss, SMU still has a chance to win the conference with East Carolina’s loss to Southern Miss Thursday night. If UTEP can upset Tulane tonight, the Mustangs will claim the title on the merits of conference record.
SMU will play in the C-USA tournament beginning March 13 in Tulsa, Okla.
