The Mustangs hit 50 percent of their shots, sunk 81 percent of their free throws, and committed only eight turnovers. So how did the East Carolina Pirates escape Moody Coliseum with an 80-74 victory on Saturday?
The Pirates (10-8, 2-3 Conference USA) bombarded SMU with 10 3-pointers, rallying from a seven-point deficit midway through the second half. With 10:41 remaining in the game, Jamar Abrams drained a 3-pointer that sparked a 14-4 East Carolina run putting the Pirates ahead for good. East Carolina outscored the Mustangs 25-12 in the final 11 minutes of the game.
“I’m disappointed that we lost, but you have to give a lot of credit to East Carolina,” said SMU Head Coach Matt Doherty. “They played extremely well. When they shoot like that [48 percent from the field], they’re going to be tough to beat.”
The Mustangs (6-11, 1-4), who have lost eight of their last 11, hit the road Wednesday to face Central Florida. They return home Feb. 4 to face the Memphis Tigers, who are ranked No. 24 in the Associated Press poll.
The Mustangs put together one of their best offensive performances of the season, thanks to the emergence of Bamba Fall. The 7-foot-2 center scored a season-high 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting and added three assists.
He ignited the Mustangs-and the home crowd-when he threw down a pair of dunks on two straight possessions in the second half. He also had three blocks, giving him 225 in his career.
“Bamba was big,” said Doherty. “He played with aggressiveness and toughness, and when he touched the ball, good things happen.”
“My teammates did a great job of finding me open, and I just had to finish it,” said Fall.
Less than a minute after Fall’s last thunderous dunk, Derek Williams sent the crowd into a frenzy when he nailed a 3-pointer to put SMU up by six. East Carolina immediately called a timeout, and Doherty leapt off the bench, jumping and waving his hands in celebration.
However, the Mustangs could not match the Pirates’ offensive firepower in the final 10 minutes. Point guard Brock Young, who Doherty compared after the game to NBA stars Chris Paul and Steve Nash, dished out 11 assists and had only one turnover. He finished with 16 points, and forward Darrius Morrow bullied his way to a team-high 21 points.
