Champ Central
Postgame Interview with ECU coach Nicole Mealing and forward Salita Greene

UNCASVILLE, Conn. - For a second-straight year, ECU defeated SMU in the first round of the American Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championship, 50-48, to advance to Saturday's quarterfinals at Mohegan Sun Arena. The No. 8-seeded Pirates outlasted the No. 9-seeded Mustangs in the conferences' second-ever overtime game in tournament action. It marked the third-consecutive year the Pirates and Mustangs met in The American tournament. ECU will take on top-seeded UConn Saturday at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN3.



Lashonda Monk and Salita Greene scored the final two layups of the game to seal the win for the Pirates. Four players reached double-digit points for ECU, as Alex Frazier (12 points), Raven Johnson (12 points), Monk (10 points) and Greene (10 points) combined for 44 points to lead the team. Freshman Paige Bayliss scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Mustangs. The Pirates led 12-7 in points off turnovers.

SMU used a 10-0 run to end the third quarter before outscoring the Pirates 18-12 in the final frame, capped by a three-pointer from Kayla White to knot it up at 46-46 and bring the game to overtime.

ECU opened the contest with a 9-2 run before the Mustangs scored the next eight of 13 points to make it a two-possession game (14-10) at the end of the first quarter. The Pirates' defense thrived in the second quarter, holding SMU to shooting 20 percent. ECU registered four steals in the second frame, while SMU went 7:15 without a bucket. During that span, ECU scored six points in transition to extend its lead to 22-17 to end the first half.

Both teams played tough defense to start the second half, as each side was held below 30 percent shooting. ECU pulled away with a 9-0 run capped by a fastbreak layup by Johnson to move out to its largest lead of the day (13 points). However, SMU answered with a 10-0 run over the next four minutes to close the gap to four points. Bayliss made her presence felt on the post for the Mustangs, scoring three times in the paint to spark SMU's surge. ECU forward Salita Greene then scored a buzzer-beater layup to give ECU a six-point advantage heading into the final frame.

SMU shot 46 percent and made five of its last six field goals, using a 12-4 surge in the fourth quarter. Kayla White hit the first three of the day for the Mustangs to tie the game at 46-46 with 27 seconds left in the game to bring the contest to overtime.

SMU took its first lead of the game in overtime with Johnasia Cash hitting a jumper on the Mustangs' first possession, but Monk's and Greene's layups secured the win for the Pirates.

Fans can watch the entire tournament on ESPN platforms, including ESPN3, ESPNU and ESPN2.

For more information on and continuing coverage of the American Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championship, please visit Championship Central at www.theamerican.org/wbb.