SMU defeated Louisiana Tech 75-70 in overtime Friday night in Moody Coliseum to advance to the second round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). The win against the Lady Techsters is the first in program history for SMU (1-18).
The win marks SMU's first postseason victory since the 2013-14 season when the Mustangs defeated Texas Southern in the first round of the WNIT. It was the Mustangs' first overtime game since SMU defeated UCF, 83-74, in the American Athletic Conference tournament March 4, 2016.
SMU will host Abilene Christian Monday at 8 p.m. ET. The Mustangs improved to 18-14 overall (7-9 The American) and 12-3 at Moody Coliseum, while the Lady Techsters fell to 18-14 with a 12-6 record in Conference USA.
Alicia Froling beat the buzzer at the end of the third quarter, banking in a 40-foot shot for her first 3-point field goal of the season. The shot capped off a 7-0 run by the Mustangs. With 1:18 left in the quarter, LA Tech led by 14, 54-40, before the SMU run cut the lead in half.
Froling converted an and-1 opportunity with 5:54 left in regulation, giving SMU its first lead since the first quarter, 55-54. The Lady Techsters stretched the lead back to four, 59-55 with 4:01 left. With 1:19 remaining in the fourth quarter, McKenzie Adams scored to tie the game for the fifth time, 62-62.
Reauna Cleaver made a free-throw after missing her first attempt to put the Lady Techsters up by one, 63-62, with 57 seconds left in regulation. After a missed 3-pointer by the Mustangs, LA Tech came away with the rebound, inbounding the ball in the frontcourt after a timeout. The SMU defense forced a turnover, and Froling was fouled with 13 seconds to play. The junior missed the first, but made the second to tie the game, 63-63, and Dai'ja Thomas came away with the rebound on Louisiana Tech's game-winning attempt to force overtime.
The Mustangs held LA Tech to just seven points in the five-minute overtime period, while scoring 12 points and shooting 50-percent from the field and the 3-point line.
Three Mustangs finished in double figures. Froling scored a season-high 28 points and 13 rebounds for her 17th double-double of the season. Adams added 16 points, while Bolton chipped in 13.