After establishing a three-game winning streak before hitting the road for the second time this season, the SMU men’s basketball team returns to Dallas following a 69-64 loss to the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (6-2) on Wednesday night in Ruston, La.
Senior Papa Dia and junior Robert Nyakundi led the Mustangs (4-4) in scoring with 20 and 15 points, respectively. Junior Justin Haynes added 12 points. Dia’s score marked the fourth time in six games he has scored 20 or more points in a single game.
Jeremiah Samarrippas, in his debut season, had four assists to bring his season total to 31. The freshman starter also added 6 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals.
Despite three players posting double-digit scores, the Mustangs were held to just 37.5 percent in shooting from the field and 8-for-28 in three’s. Tech, led by senior DeAndre Brown with 19 points, shot 47.9 percent from the field and 56.3 percent from the long range, also nearly doubling the Mustangs on the boards.
Tech had 42 rebounds on the night compared to SMU’s 27. SMU did collect more points in turnovers, though, adding 22 points off Tech turnovers to their final score. SMU, who has struggled with their assist-to-turnover ratio, gave up 12 points to the Bulldogs 9-to-11.
Ahead by one point at the half, SMU seemed to be on their way to their first road win of the season, but the Bulldogs pulled ahead for the win at the 15-minute mark with a three-pointer from Brown. Tech sealed their sixth win at home with three minutes left as they established a game-high 11-point lead.
The Mustangs came within one basket of tying the game of the second on four occasions but never managed to regain the lead. Senior Mike Walker nailed a three with four seconds left to come within three of the Bulldogs, but a foul by SMU junior Rodney Clinkscales sent Brown to the line for two successful free throws to end the game.
SMU fell to 8-3 against the Bulldogs in the 12th meeting between the schools. SMU has not defeated Louisiana Tech since 2005 and is 1-4 all-time in Ruston, La.
Looking for a win before taking a two-week break before play resumes on Dec. 18, the Mustangs return to Moody Coliseum this weekend to host the Grambling State Tigers (1-5) on Saturday at 5 p.m.
The Tigers have plenty of experience but little success on the road, having won only one game this season in a 77-76 overtime win against Southeast Missouri State on Nov. 22 on the road. Having yet to play a game on their home court, the Tigers are 1-4 on the road this season.
Coming off their second win of the season in a Thursday night victory over North Texas in Denton, the Tigers come to Moody looking for their first back-to-back wins of the season.
Juniors Justin Patton with 15.5 points averaged per game and Brandon Wilson with 11.3 points per game lead Grambling State. As a team, the Tigers have allowed their opponents 81.7 points per game, allowing other teams to shoot an average of 46.3 percent from the field.
SMU, who previously had a three-game winning streak at Moody Coliseum prior to Wednesday’s loss to Louisiana Tech, is 4-2 on their home court.
