Skip to main content
SMU

SMU throttles Memphis, 106-79, for sixth straight win

On3 imageby: Billy Embody02/19/24BillyEmbody
smu-basketball-throttles-memphis-106-79-sixth-straight-win

SMU Basketball started strong and never let up on Memphis Sunday in Moody Coliseum, crushing the Tigers, 106-79. SMU’s now won nine straight in Moody Coliseum, improving to 13-2 in Dallas this season.

Score: SMU 106, Memphis 79
Record: 19-7 overall, 10-3 AAC
Next Game: At FAU on Thursday at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN2

Player of the Game: Ricardo Wright – Wright was an impressive 6-of-8 from three-point range on Sunday as he amassed a team-high 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field. In the first half, Wright had 18 of his 26 points. He’s becoming a true sniper from deep for the Mustangs and his shot-making has been one of the nice surprises for the team.

Leading Scorers: Wright, Zhuric Phelps (18), Samuell Williamson (18), Tyreek Smith (10), Chuck Harris (10).

Sequence of the Game: After Memphis made it 29-20 with 7:44 to go in the first half, the Mustangs went on a 16-3 run to go up by 22 with 3:52 to go in the half. Samuell Williamson had six of the 16 points during the run.

Rest of the Story: SMU started fast, leading 15-5 with 15:11 to go in the 1st half thanks to a 7-0 run. SMU kept the pedal down, doubling up Memphis, 24-12, at the 11:07 mark. SMU used the 16-3 run later in the half to pull away and build a lead that was never threatened by the Tigers. SMU led 58-36 Memphis at halftime. The Mustangs continued to lead the AAC in offensive rebounding, allowing the team to notch 23 second chance points in the contest. David Jones had a game-high 33 points, continuing his dominant performance for Memphis, but it wasn’t nearly enough as just one other Tiger was in double-digits. SMU cruised in the second half to the 27-point win.

Notable Stat I: SMU dominated in second chance points, 23-10. A lot of that can be credited to the 17 offensive boards the Mustangs grabbed.

Notable Stat II: SMU amassed a tremendous 1.657 points per possession with the nation’s leading points per possession sitting at 1.205.

Coach Lanier Said: “Ricardo does that every day in practice. There’s no surprise. He did it last year in practice. That was never a question. I’ve talked to you guys about the day Ricardo came into my office and said, ‘I had the wrong mindset and I get it now.’ He’s becoming a little bit of a leader for us. Not only is he talking, he’s saying the right things and he’s backing it up with his actions. So now you guys get to see what we see in practice, but a lot of guys can score that can’t help you win.

“Right now, he’s stepped into winning and being a winning player, and the scoring is a part of what he does. But right now, he’s doing a lot more than just score the basketball. But that part is really not a surprise.”

Final Word: SMU needed to start a critical three-game stretch off right with a win and Rob Lanier’s squad did just that. In the final regular season meeting as AAC foes, SMU crushed Memphis. The Mustangs nabbed the win by sharing the ball, notching 28 assists on 42 made baskets. With 106 points, the Mustangs topped their previous high of points in an AAC game, which was 103 in the 2017 win over Memphis. Now SMU turns its attention to road matchups at Florida Atlantic and USF, two of the top three teams in the league. Memphis has struggled lately, but it was an emphatic win that could lead to more confidence for these pivotal contests this week.

You may also like