SMU men’s basketball fell to the UTSA Roadrunners after a back-and-forth battle, losing 77-73 on Saturday in Moody Coliseum.
This game was marked by UTSA scoring prowess, as guard Jordan Ivy-Curry dropped 33 points off the bench, and starter P.J. Carter scored 23 points.
The Roadrunners (5-12 conference, 11-19 overall) are known for their high-level scoring attacks. They are ninth in the nation in 3 point shots per game, and first in the American Conference, averaging 29 three-pointers per game. They continued their trend Saturday as they made 12 out of their 28 three-point shots.
“You’ve got to give most of the credit to UTSA,” SMU Head Coach Rob Lanier said in the post-game press conference. “All of those shots didn’t have to go in, those guys stepped up and made them.”
SMU forward Keon Ambrose Hyland also commented on UTSA’s shooting ability.
“They got too many rhythm looks in the first half and got pretty hot,” Ambrose-Hyland said at the post-game press conference.
The Mustangs (10-6, 13-3) started strong in both halves, but couldn’t sustain their level of intensity throughout the game. Their energy was the focus going into this game, but the team failed to follow through.
“Our message was the level of energy,” Lanier said. “Urgency was going to be really critical for us coming off a bye week, and to this point in games. We sustained it for a little bit early, [but] we didn’t have that juice when it really mattered the most.”
Ambrose-Hyland best summarized his takeaway from the loss with few, yet poignant, words.
“We just got to have more fight in us.”
But this is not the last the Mustangs will be challenged this season. SMU ranks fifth in the American Conference with two games left before the conference tournament. And with that level of success comes a sense of urgency for the opposition to perform well.
“There’s a lot of things on the line now and you’ve got a good enough reputation that people respect you. You’re going to get [the opposing] team’s best shot.”
However, men’s basketball is spinning the loss as a learning experience. The SMU players have not been in this position this late in the season, and thus have room to grow moving forward.
“These are good experiences, even the ones that don’t leave a great taste in your mouth.”
SMU was down a player on Saturday afternoon, as guard Chuck Harris was out with an ankle injury. Coach Lanier said he was “day-to-day” and Harris has been doing individual workouts to prepare for a return. However, the team felt the hole left by Harris’ absence.
“We miss Chuck [Harris] spreading the floor and being able to playmate and shoot the ball,” Ambrose-Hyland said. “Chuck is a great player, we obviously could have used him tonight.”
There were some bright spots in the Mustang’s game. Guard Zhuric Phelps scored 18 points while guard Ricardo Wright scored 13 in an elevated starting role, due to Harris’ injury.
Coach Lanier spoke of Wright’s growth and value for the team.
“[Wright] brings value defensively,” Coach Lanier said. “He brings a level of maturity and leadership to our team.”
Despite the coach’s praise, guard Wright was focused on the game as a whole, and how his team as a whole had room to grow.
“It’s a really frustrating loss, regardless of my performance in that,” Wright said. “I felt like I could have played better. I felt like we as a team could have played better.”
When asked about the future games, Coach Lanier was unfazed and brought the focus back to the present moment.
“Wednesday is the focus,” Lanier said. “We’re not talking about seeding, we’re not talking about 20 wins, we’re not talking about championships. We’re just talking about today’s game.”
The Mustangs play Eastern Carolina at home Wednesday at 7 p.m. for senior night, then they travel to UAB on Sunday to finish the regular season. After those two games, they will compete in the American conference tournament in Fort Worth starting March 14.
