ORLANDO -- Brittany Gilliam scored 20 points and Sharee Shepherd added 17 as Southern Methodist upset No. 18 UTEP 73-57 on Sunday at UCF Arena to win the Conference USA tournament.

The victory sends the Mustangs (24-8) to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2000. UTEP watched the nation's longest winning streak end at 23 games, but the Miners are still likely to receive their first bid to the NCAA tournament as an at-large selection. Bids will be announced next Monday.

"I can say this now because we're in, but I don't think we get in the tournament if we don't win this game," SMU coach Rhonda Rompola said. "We were playing a little conservative there in the second half, but we got some energy back and really won the game at the free-throw line."

Izabela Piekarska led UTEP (27-3) with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Jareica Hughes added 19 points and Natasha Lacy had 15.

Katy Cobb scored 11 points, and MVP Janielle Dodds had 10 points and 11 rebounds for SMU (24-8), which hit 22 of 23 free throws in the final five minutes to close out the Miners, who went undefeated in the C-USA regular season. They had two wins over SMU.

"When you go out and play a team that's already beaten you twice, I can't explain the fire my teammates had in this tournament," Dodds said. "I haven't seen it all year. It was awesome to see my teammates with the fire we had because we played like it."

UTEP had trailed 30-20 early in the second half, but scored 18 straight points to go ahead 38-30.

Lacy had seven points during that stretch and Hughes contributed five points and a pair of assists.

But SMU responded with a 17-0 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Cobb that made it 47-38 with 6:18 left in the game. The Mustangs held on, thanks to solid free-throw shooting that included 15 straight at one point.

"I have talked all year about our seniors leading us and leading this team and I'll tell you what, if there's a good time that our seniors needed to step up, they stepped up today," Rompola said. She was referring to Shepherd, Dodds and Cobb.

This is the first time SMU has won 24 games in school history.

"Bottom line is you have to tip your hat to SMU for playing a great game today," UTEP coach Keitha Adams said. "I thought they played very hard, very well. They are a good team. I said that all year long.

"I'm very proud of our team. We had an amazing year. I just told our players that we have nothing to have our heads down for. We need to hold our heads high. The one positive out of this will be two teams in the NCAA tournament."

Lacy said the Miners will be ready for the NCAA tournament.

"We just have to regroup," Lacy said. "We are still focused on a common goal. We just have to go out and play. The next team better be ready because we will."

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