SMU will look to get back to its winning ways but will have to be better with its offensive execution as it plays surging Texas A&M on Sunday afternoon in the Hoop Hype XL Matchup at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.
The Mustangs (8-1) return to the court after an 88-69 loss at No. 17 Vanderbilt on Wednesday in the ACC/SEC Challenge. Boopie Miller led SMU with 17 points while Samet Yigitoglu notched 16 points and eight rebounds, Jaron Pierre Jr. had 13 points and B.J. Edwards hit for 10 points, marking the eighth time this season the Mustangs have produced at least four double-digit scorers.
The Mustangs went the final 6:49 without a field goal after an Edwards basket trimmed their deficit to 73-61. SMU had a string of 13 consecutive victories in nonconference regular-season games snapped and its perfect season spoiled.
“We didn’t play our best game,” SMU coach Andy Enfield said. “We made a couple of defensive mistakes early in the second half and played uphill the rest of the game. It was like being in the dentist chair, getting your teeth pulled, right? Every time we made a good defensive play we couldn’t get any traction, so it was like sitting there for 15 minutes and being miserable.”
It’s SMU’s third straight game against an SEC opponent after beating Mississippi State in overtime on the road on Nov. 28 and the clash against Vanderbilt.
The Aggies (7-2) have won five straight games, most recently an 81-73 decision at Pittsburgh on Tuesday in the ACC/SEC Challenge. It’s a new look Texas A&M, in its first year under Bucky McMillan. Rashaun Agee produced a game-high 21 points and 13 rebounds in the victory, with Ruben Dominguez scoring 18 points and Jacari Lane adding 14.
Texas A&M converted its final five field-goal attempts and hit 13 consecutive clutch free throws down the stretch to secure the win.
“It’s hard to win on the road, we know that,” McMillan said. “I think that we weren’t ready to win on the road earlier in the year, I’d be the first to say that. The defense has to be pretty good, and you’ve got to not turn the ball over, you’ve got to take elite shots.
“Just get better, that’s the only thing that I worry about,” McMillan said when asked about his team’s recent success. “I don’t worry so much about the other teams as much as I do the team that matters most, which is our team.”
