SMU’s senior guard Jon Killen drives to the basket for two of his 33 points. (Lindsey Perkins)
Buzzer-beaters, overtimes, jaw-dropping individual performances, a double-digit comeback and an end to a haunting losing streak – these are a handful of things that left fans at Moody Coliseum beaming after a thrilling game between rivals SMU and Texas-El Paso.
The Mustangs (9-18, 3-11) rallied from a 13-point second-half deficit, then survived two overtime periods and a barrage of three pointers from Conference USA’s leading scorer, Stefon Jackson.
After the dust settled, the Mustangs emerged with a 99-96 victory Saturday night.
SMU’s senior guard Jon Killen lit up the scoreboard for a career-high 33 points, 29 of them coming in the second half and two overtime periods. He played all 50 minutes.
Killen sparked the Mustangs’ comeback with a streak of three pointers late in the second half. He also drained a game-tying three pointer with 30 seconds left in the first overtime.
After the final buzzer sounded and SMU’s bench spilled onto the court, head coach Matt Doherty embraced Killen and asked him, “Did you think you would ever score 33 points in a game?” Killen responded by saying, “Coach, I didn’t even score 20 points a game in high school.”
The victory snapped SMU’s five-game losing streak and a nine-game losing streak to the Miners.
“That was a lot of fun,” said Killen, who hadn’t won against UTEP in his career. “It’s nice to score those points, but it’s even better to get the win.”
The thriller featured nine ties, 12 lead changes and a buzzer-beater at the end of regulation that stopped the hearts of the 3,844 in attendance.
Jackson, with an SMU defender in his face, drained a high-arcing shot from about two feet beyond the three-point line with 2.3 seconds remaining. That tied the score at 79-79 and sent the game into overtime.
However, Jackson would not duplicate his heroics at the end of the second overtime. His three-point attempt as time expired drifted left and bounced harmlessly off the glass.
Jackson finished with 27 points but did not hit a single bucket in either overtime period, thanks to the lockdown defense of senior Derrick Roberts.
Roberts was practically in Jackson’s jersey on the defensive end, often talking to him while he had the ball.
“My goal was pretty much to make his life miserable,” said Roberts. “Me and him have been playing together for two or three years, so we were talking to each other a little…but nothing bad.”
Roberts also made his presence felt on the offensive end, as he and Killen propelled SMU’s comeback in the middle of the second half.
After the Miners stretched their advantage to a game-high 13, Killen knocked down two consecutive buckets to bring the Mustangs within eight points. Then Roberts brought the crowd to its feet and his team to within five when he hit a three pointer with just over eight minutes remaining.
SMU’s comeback appeared to hit a snag when freshman forward Papa Dia fouled out with 5:59 remaining. Senior Paulius Ritter, who started alongside Bamba Fall in the post, fouled out three minutes later.
However, Killen scored 11 points in a critical three-minute stretch. His turnaround jumper with 2:49 remaining gave the Mustangs their first lead since early in the first half.
The game was nip and tuck down the wire, but SMU was able to stay ahead until Jackson’s three-point prayer was answered in the closing seconds.
Killen and Fall led the Mustangs in the overtime periods, combining for 15 points.
Fall hit key free throws in the final minute of the second overtime and finished with 19 points in the game. Roberts finished with 17 points.
The Mustangs’ victory came at just the right time. SMU was coming off a 28-point loss at East Carolina last Wednesday and is set to face No. 3 Memphis in its home finale this Wednesday.
Killen, Roberts and Ritter will be honored on senior night. The Mustangs will try to exact revenge for Memphis’ 64-61 victory at Moody Coliseum last year.
