Balanced SMU Attack Too Much For The Pirates

Sunday, January 28

Dallas, Texas

2 P.M.

East Carolina University

8-12, 2-7AAC

SMU

15-7, 5-4AAC

ECU

SMU

January 28, 2018 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

RESULT
Five players scored double figures to lead SMU to an 86-61 victory over ECU at Moody Coliseum Sunday, giving the Mustangs their eighth straight win over the Pirates.

TURNING POINT
SMU opened the second half on a 17-7 run to extend its 11-point halftime lead to 21, 61-40, in the first six minutes following intermission. The Mustangs led by as many as 29.

ECU PLAYER-OF-THE-GAME
Freshman Shawn Williams scored 14 points, made four 3-pointers and handed out a pair of assists.

SMU PLAYER-OF-THE-GAME
Jimmy Whitt finished with 20 points, making 9-of-11 field goal attempts with five rebounds and six assists … Jahmal McMurray also scored 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, burying 4-of-5 3-point attempts with four rebounds and two assists.

KEY PERFORMERS
Junior Isaac Fleming was the only other Pirate to score double figures, finishing with a team-high 17 points … B.J. Tyson distributed a team-high seven assists.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
SMU finished the game shooting 61.8 percent from the floor (34-55) and 55.0 percent from outside the 3-point arc (11-20) … The Pirates shot 54.2 percent in the first half, but were held to under 35 percent in the second half and finished the game at 42.9 percent … ECU made seven first half 3s, but were only 2-of-13 in the second half … SMU won the battle of the boards by seven, 31-24 … After committing 11 first half turnovers, ECU committed just two in the second half.

QUOTE OF THE NIGHT
"This is how they've been playing outside the UConn game. I thought they can't shoot the ball that bad in back-to-back games. I anticipated them shooting the ball well here at home and they're good at home. They made some tough shots, we were in their faces. We did a good job of limiting Shake Milton, but some of the other guys who had been struggling made shots today." – ECU Interim Head Coach Michael Perry

INJURY REPORT
Coach Perry announced prior to the game that senior center Jabari Craig will miss up to three weeks with a left foot injury … Junior Kentrell Barkley played just nine minutes, leaving the game midway through the first half after suffering a head injury.

UP NEXT
ECU returns home Wednesday night against Tulane with a tip-off time of 6:30 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPNEWS.