No. 6 SMU's Second Half Rally Defeats No. 11 UCF at C-USA Women's Basketball ChampionshipNo. 6 SMU's Second Half Rally Defeats No. 11 UCF at C-USA Women's Basketball Championship

No. 6 SMU's Second Half Rally Defeats No. 11 UCF at C-USA Women's Basketball Championship

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March 2, 2007

Final Stats

TULSA, Okla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - Senior guard Francine Houston (Bradenton, Fla./Southeast HS) scored 23 points but it wasn't enough to overcome a second half rally by No. 6 seed SMU as No. 11 UCF fell 79-58 to the Mustangs in the first round of the Conference USA Women's Basketball Championship on Thursday night.

Houston sank five-three pointers on the night, breaking her own school record for three-pointers made in season with 82. Her previous total, set last year, was 78. She also owns the UCF record for three-pointers made in a game with eight and three-pointers made in a career with 213.

The Golden Knights jumped out early, 5-0, before the Mustangs scored six unanswered points of their own. The two teams traded possession of scoreboard until 9:04 when Houston hit her third three-pointer of the game to spark a 9-0 UCF run. The Golden Knights held onto a 30-26 advantage at the half.

SMU tied the game on its first two possessions of the second half then took over the lead on Willis' lay-up at 18:31 and outscored UCF 20-8 over the next six minutes. Down 57-38 with just under 11 minutes to play, the Golden Knights' offense came alive behind a pair of threes from senior guard Celeste Hudson (Altamonte Springs, Fla./Lyman HS) and Houston and cut the margin to 10 points at 7:25.

The Mustangs eventually regained their momentum, finishing on a 19-8 run.

In addition to Houston's team-high 23 points, senior forward Keunta Miles (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./South Broward HS) missed recording her sixth career double-double with nine points and a game-high 11 rebounds.

SMU junior center Janielle Dodds led all players with 24 points, while junior guard Katy Cobb netted 19 points. The Mustangs edged UCF on the glass, 43-42.

With the loss, the Golden Knights finish the season with an 8-22 record. SMU put their 18-11 overall mark on the line against No. 3 East Carolina on Friday at 8:30 p.m.

For the latest news and information on the Golden Knights, tickets or apparel log on to www.ucfathletics.com - the official site for UCF athletics.