The SMU Mustangs lost to the Louisiana Tech Techsters in a 54-77 downfall in the opening round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament Thursday night in Ruston, La.

The Mustangs finish their season as Conference USA regular season champions at 12-4 in conference play and 20-12 overall.

In the Mustang’s tenth postseason appearance, all of which have come under head coach Rhonda Rompola’s time on the Hilltop, SMU struggled from the beginning to overthrow their former rival from the Western Athletic Conference.

Despite the season’s end, junior Brittany Gilliam hit the 1,000th point mark in her career, knocking down 16 points over La. Tech. Junior Delisha Wills, who did not play in the WNIT, needed just 12 points to reach 1,000 points.

La. Tech established an early lead, going up by as many as 13 points with just under three minutes remaining in the first half. The Mustangs managed to gain their only lead of the game for about five minutes in the middle of the opening half, but a 24-24 run in the closing minutes put La. Tech up 41-30 at the half.

The Mustangs struggled from all angles of the court, hitting just 38 percent of their field goals, and making only one trip to the free throw line. The Techsters went 6-11 from the line. SMU blanked at 0-1.

In the second half, SMU was held to just 24 points, brought on by a series of two to four minute stalls in which La. Tech continued to run up the score. The Mustangs went down by 27 points with 5:35 remaining as a chance of advancing deeper in the tournament slipped away.

La. Tech posts an 18-0 record over the Mustangs, dating back to SMU’s days in the WAC starting in 2001.

The Techsters will take on Illinois State in round two of the WNIT later in the week.