Senior forward Robert Nyakundi scores against Florida Gulf Coast Saturday afternoon in Moody Coliseum. The Mustangs won 65-64. (Michael Danser/The Daily Campus)

The SMU men’s basketball team mounted the third-largest comeback in team history to beat the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles at home on Saturday.

The Mustangs were down 49-32 with 15:28 left in the game after an emphatic fast-break dunk by the Eagles.

At this point, a 17-point comeback looked out of the question and the game looked all but over, but the Mustangs fought back.

The dunk that put FGCU up 17 had silenced the crowd to the point where you could hear a pin drop.

However, what it also did was motivate the Mustangs and shift the momentum in SMU favor.

Gradually, over eight minutes of play, they put together a 17-4 run to make the score 49-53.

The Mustangs were within striking distance, and after trading points with FGCU over a few possessions, they eventually took a 63-62 lead on a Robert Nyakundi 3-pointer.

Nyakundi finished the game with 18 points and eight rebounds, including four three-pointers, a couple of blocks, and a steal. More importantly, he was instrumental in SMU’s second half comeback.

This 63-62 lead the Mustangs gained was their first lead since 3:27 in the first half. It was a short-lived lead, though.

The Eagles responded with 2 clutch free throws to put FGCU up 1 with 1:50 to play. Time was running out on the Mustangs as they failed to convert on their next possession.

Then, with 21 seconds left on the clock, Ryan Manuel stole the ball and made the game-winning bucket. Defense wins championships, as they say. Well, it also can win you a close game.

The Mustangs had three players in double figures on Saturday. Nyakundi’s 18 tied his season high, Jalen Jones had 15 and London Giles scored 11. The Mustangs shot just 34.6 percent from the field in the first half, but made 52.4 percent in the second.

A big reason this second half percentage was so high is because during their 17-point comeback, the Mustangs made eight of 12 shots between 11:00 and 2:00.

The team barely missed when it mattered most.

In an interview earlier in the season, Robert Nyakundi used the word “versatile” many times to describe his team. Another word he might want to start associating his team with is “clutch.”

The Mustangs proved on Saturday that they have what it takes not only to come back from large margins, but that they can also close out games that come down to the wire.

The team will be in action again today as they take on Oral Roberts in Tulsa, Okla., in another consolation game for the Dick’s Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off tournament.