HUNTSVILLE, Texas (Interstat) — SMU built a large early lead and withstood a furious fourth-quarter rally by Sam Houston to secure a 73-69 win in women’s basketball Friday night at Johnson Coliseum. The Mustangs led 35-26 at halftime and took a 19-point advantage into the final period. The Bearkats outscored SMU 28-19 in the fourth but could not complete the comeback. Paulina Paris led SMU with 18 points, while Jzaniya Harriel added 16. Fanta Kone paced Sam Houston with 13 points and seven assists. SMU improved to 6-6. Sam Houston fell to 5-4.

HUNTSVILLE, Texas (Interstat) — In a game defined by a dominant start and a frantic finish, the SMU Mustangs survived a furious fourth-quarter rally by the Sam Houston Bearkats to escape Johnson Coliseum with a 73-69 victory in nonconference women’s basketball action Friday night. The Mustangs, who led by as many as 19 points in the third quarter, saw their comfortable advantage evaporate under a relentless full-court press and a 28-point final period from the home team. SMU ultimately sealed the win at the free-throw line in the final seconds, avoiding a catastrophic collapse to even its season record at 6-6. Sam Houston fell to 5-4. The contest unfolded in starkly different halves. SMU established control early, leveraging its defensive activity to create transition opportunities. The Mustangs closed the first quarter on a 7-0 run, capped by a Jzaniya Harriel 3-pointer, to lead 18-14. They extended that lead methodically throughout the second and third quarters, stifling the Bearkats’ offense and building a 54-41 advantage heading into the final 10 minutes. The fourth quarter, however, was a whirlwind of momentum. Sam Houston, led by the backcourt duo of Fanta Kone and Deborah Ogayemi, intensified its defensive pressure, forcing a series of SMU turnovers. The Bearkats chipped away, using a 13-4 run to cut the deficit to 64-60 with just under four minutes to play after a Kone 3-pointer. SMU’s Paulina Paris and Kyla Deck responded with critical baskets to momentarily stem the tide, but Sam Houston refused to relent. Trailing 70-66 with 13 seconds left, the Bearkats’ Bryana Block found Nyla Inmon for a layup to pull within two. After Harriel made one of two free throws for SMU, Sam Houston had a chance to tie with 4.4 seconds remaining. Aysia Ward-Strong, who had been quiet from deep, sank a clutch 3-pointer off an inbound pass from Block, suddenly slicing SMU’s lead to 71-69. The Mustangs, however, inbounded the ball to Harriel, who was immediately fouled. The guard from Sacramento, California, calmly sank both free throws with 2.8 seconds left to finally secure the four-point victory. Harriel led all scorers with 16 points, while Paris added 18 points and three assists for SMU. Kyla Deck contributed 14 points. Their combined efforts were vital in weathering the late storm. Sam Houston’s comeback attempt was fueled by balanced scoring and relentless hustle. Kone finished with 13 points and a game-high seven assists. Ward-Strong and Inmon each scored 13 points, with Inmon adding four assists. Ogayemi was a force inside, scoring 12 points and grabbing multiple key offensive rebounds during the comeback push. The most important sequence of the game occurred in the final 15 seconds. After Ward-Strong’s dramatic 3-pointer brought the Bearkats within two and sent the home crowd of 394 into a frenzy, SMU faced the pressure of a sideline inbound with its lead nearly vanished. A turnover could have led to a game-tying or winning attempt for Sam Houston. The Mustangs successfully got the ball inbounds to their best free-throw shooter in Harriel, who was fouled and demonstrated composure to sink both attempts, finally extinguishing Sam Houston’s hopes. Statistically, SMU’s early efficiency proved decisive. The Mustangs built their lead by shooting consistently each quarter, while Sam Houston struggled from the floor until its fourth-quarter explosion. The Bearkats’ 28-point final frame nearly doubled their output from any other quarter. SMU will look to build on the win when it hosts Southern on Sunday. Sam Houston travels to face Northern Colorado on Monday.

HUNTSVILLE, Texas (Interstat) — Two teams looking to build momentum before conference play begins will meet Friday night when the SMU Mustangs visit the Sam Houston Bearkats in a nonconference women’s basketball game at Johnson Coliseum. Both teams enter with 5-6 overall records, though their recent paths have differed. SMU snapped a two-game skid with a 57-49 home win over Coppin State on Dec. 10, led by 16 points from Sahnya Jah. The Mustangs have shown offensive bursts, scoring 78 or more points in three of their five victories, but have struggled with consistency. Sam Houston is looking to rebound from a pair of lopsided road losses. The Bearkats fell 73-36 at Alabama on Tuesday and 66-50 at Rice on Dec. 3. Prior to that, they had won five of their first six games, largely against lower-tier competition, with their defense holding opponents to 49 points or less in four of those wins. A key matchup will feature the teams’ leading scorers. SMU will rely on guard Kyla Deck, who is averaging 9.4 points per game. Deck is coming off a 10-point, 4-assist performance against Coppin State and has scored in double figures in three of her last five outings. For Sam Houston, forward Deborah Ogayemi has been a bright spot, averaging 10.3 points per game. She led the Bearkats with 14 points in the loss at Alabama and scored 12 at Rice, demonstrating her ability to produce against stronger competition. The game represents a final tune-up before both teams embark on challenging stretches. SMU will jump into Atlantic Coast Conference play after one more nonconference game, facing a schedule that includes matchups with ranked foes like Louisville and Virginia Tech. Sam Houston will begin its first season in Conference USA next month. Friday’s contest will be just the second meeting between the programs. SMU won the previous matchup 86-59 in Dallas during the 2021-22 season. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CST at Johnson Coliseum.