SMU forward Haley Day at the free point line after being fouled. (MICHAEL DOOLEY/The Daily Campus)

Keeping with the trend of this season, the SMU women’s basketball team split their weekend.
 

The Mustangs took on the University of Tulsa Thursday night and despite an energetic second half, they were unable to emerge victorious, losing 57-54.  
 

The loss and quick turn around did not keep the Mustangs down however, when they traveled to Huntington, West Virginia on Sunday afternoon to hold onto a victory over Marshall University, 74-64.
 

The match against Tulsa was a heated one and neither team was able to push past a three-point lead in the first half.
 

The score was tied three times and there were five changes in the leading team.
However, in the second half, SMU had to play the last 12 minutes without sophomore Christine Elliott or senior Alice Severin when both players fouled out.
 

This did allow for some added playing time for non-starters like freshman Sarah Shelton, who not only started but played 35 minutes.
 

Junior Haley Day had 14 points,and senior Brittany Gilliam was right behind her with 13.
Sophomore Samantha Mahnesmith had an additional 12 and prior to fouling out, Elliot was able to put up 10 points.
 

SMU was able to turn the weekend around during their match against Marshall on Sunday.
As head coach Rhonda Rompola anticipated, the team utilized their outside shooting talent.
 

SMU had 12 3-point baskets, a season high. The Mustangs had a total shooting percentage of 44.4 percent, which is the second highest percentage since the team played against Arkansas in November.
 

Senior Jillian Samuels had a very strong game, scoring 21 points, which ties her season high thus far. The team led for most of the first half; however, they slipped nearing the end and trailed by one with 6:44 left in the half.
 

As Rompola has been preaching all season, the team needed to “dig deep” and find a way to regain the lead. The women then scored three consecutive 3-pointers.
 

This sent them into the locker room ahead by eight.  During the remainder of the game, the Mustangs continued their success and finished 10 points ahead of Marshall. SMU is now 7-6 in Conference USA.
 

With only three games left in the season, SMU currently sits in third place behind No. 1 Tulane and No. 2 Memphis. Though SMU’s conference record is the same as both East Carolina University and the University of Houston, the Mustangs hold the tiebreaker against both teams.
 

But, with the race towards the finish so close, SMU cannot afford to make a single mistake.