The Mustangs are close to their first NCAA tournament since 2017, and their journey is looking bright after a five game-win streak in the ACC. Everyone looked forward to the Feb. 11 game against Pitt where the Mustangs pulled out a win 83-63.
This game was truly special as Moody Coliseum celebrated Black History Month. Members of the Association of Black Students, as well as members of the Divine 9 fraternities and sororities, attended the game proudly wearing their letters and supporting their team. Adele Harris, a member of the Association of Black Students, reflected on the night.
“I think it’s great that ABS partnered with men’s basketball. It was really fun to celebrate our culture and spend time with other Black students, especially during Black History Month,” Harris said.
In the first half, SMU’s offense came out firing on all cylinders as they took control early against Pitt. They embarked on a dominant 14-3 run and later pushed their lead to 29-14 with only 9:18 remaining in the half.
The Mustangs continued to build momentum, stringing together a 7-0 run that extended their advantage to 36-16 at the 4:04 mark. Pitt’s offense struggled to find their rhythm, missing 11 straight field goal attempts before finally breaking the drought with a layup.
SMU’s defense kept the pressure, holding Pitt to just 26.5% shooting from the field in the opening half.
“Well, two things defensively, we really were aggressive in rotating,” coach Andy Enfield said. “Pitt put us in a lot of different situations. I believe we did a really good job in the first half, other than the mistakes that were made earlier when they hit a couple of threes.”
Despite some early mistakes, SMU headed into halftime with a 43-27 lead.
The Mustangs’ intensity remained high as the second half began. An 8-0 run at the 17:18 mark helped them stretch the lead to 51-30. SMU senior guard, Kario Oquendo, and freshman center, Samet Yiğitoğlu, gave strong performances. Oquendo knocked down four of his six three-point attempts while Yiğitoğlu posted 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to complete his third double-double of the season.
SMU’s offense remained strong and consistent, shooting 55.8% from the field with 10 three-pointers made.
The Mustangs widened the score gap with a 9-0 run halfway through the second half. This secured the Mustangs a 75-52 lead with only 4:31 remaining. SMU’s ball movement was smooth with 18 assists on 29 made field goals. The Mustangs’ defense forced 9 steals, led by Boopie Miller. B.J. Edwards also controlled with a 40-35 rebounding rate.
“I feel like he’s [Boopie Miller] being more aggressive, he’s working out every day after practice and before practice sometimes,” Edwards said. “He’s putting in the reps he deserves.”
