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.