In a heated battle on the court, SMU men’s basketball delivered a dominant performance, taking down Cal 76-65 on Jan. 29 in Moody Coliseum.
The game started with back-and-forth action, but it wasn’t long before SMU went on a 10-0 run to push ahead 27-21 with just over four minutes remaining in the first half. The Mustangs finished the first half with a 22-8 run after trailing 21-17.
SMU managed to outshoot Cal with 45% from the field compared to Cal’s 34.3% while hitting the boards with 47 rebounds to Cal’s 36.
Both the team and their supporters wore red to honor cancer survivors at the game. Coach Enfield mentioned the importance of the win and the significance of the night.
“It was a good win for us,” Enfield said. “The Coaches vs. Cancer event is why we all wore the red shoes together, to honor those who have had a tough time with cancer.”
Chuck Harris was the standout player of the night, dropping 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the floor, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. Harris said the second half stood out to him as the team had a natural flow that propelled them to a win.
“I feel like we had a good flow in the second half. I didn’t want to force anything,” Harris said. “I just wanted to let everything come to me and let the game come to me naturally.”
Alongside Harris, B.J. Edwards added 15 points, tying his career-high with 9 rebounds and adding 5 assists. Matt Cross also had an impactful performance, finishing with a double-double, 15 points and 14 rebounds. Boopie Miller chipped in 13 points, contributing to the balanced offensive attack. As a team, SMU forced 10 steals and limited Cal to just 30 points.
Coach Enfield still looks to improve in future games in spite of a dominant home victory.
“We played very hard on defense and held them to a low percentage from the field,” Enfield said. “The three-point line wasn’t our best, and offensively, we had 16 turnovers so it wasn’t our best game overall.”
The Mustangs’ victory extended their recent run of form, marking their fifth win in the last six games and 12th in their past 15. With a NET ranking of 43, SMU showed why they’re one of the top teams in the ACC. Coach Enfield’s team entered the game with an impressive offense, ranking first in the ACC with 83.1 points per game, and they backed that up with their scoring depth. SMU’s ability to control and keep the ball, racking up 15 assists on 27 made baskets, was a key reason for their success. Their work paid off with 14 offensive rebounds, which gave them extra possessions and control of the game.
With big matchups in SMU’s future, Matt Cross said the team has a strong mindset when going into such games.
“We’re an older group of guys, so we understand the seriousness of bigger and more challenging games, like this one,” Cross said. “We know how important it is to stay focused in these moments”
Looking ahead, SMU’s next challenge looms large with games against Virginia Tech and Pitt. The Mustangs, with a 10-0 record, will likely carry their defensive tactics into those games. If they continue to play with the same intensity, particularly with key players like Harris, Edwards, and Cross leading the charge, they’ll be a tough opponent for any team.
