SMU guard Mike Walker maneuvers past a Paul Quinn defender at Moody Coliseum on Tuesday night (Stuart Palley)
The game started in a typical fashion with the Mustangs turning the ball over on their first two possessions. However, the SMU men’s basketball team battled through and started the game off with a 15-6 lead.
The starting lineup looked a little different with three freshmen starting alongside seniors Jon Killen and Derrick Roberts. Ryan Harp saw the first start of his career, while Mike Walker and Papa Dia had their second and third, respectively.
The lineup was one of SMU’s smallest and quickest lineups. SMU head coach Matt Doherty said, “We went with a small lineup because we thought it was our best chance defensively.” Doherty’s lineup change appeared to work considering Paul Quinn was held under 35 percent from the field.
The Mustangs came out with a renewed vigor that translated into energetic defense and a number of offensive rebounds.
The Mustangs covered Paul Quinn scoring threat Jazz Henderson effectively nearly the entire first half. Henderson was the MVP of the SMU Tipoff Classic after scoring over 20 points in both games and leading the team in assists.
SMU rode strong post play and a bevy of three pointers to score a season-high 49 points in the first half. The team’s strong offensive play and hustle on the defensive end of the court gave the Mustangs a 10 point lead at halftime.
The half picked up after that and the Mustangs held on to a single-digit lead for the rest of the half.
In the second half, both teams came out of the locker room ice cold. Luckily for SMU, the Tigers could not buy a bucket in the first nine minutes of play. They shot 23 percent from the field during this stretch.
The Mustangs were able to expand their lead to double digits and held on for the rest of the game for a 81-63 win.
Freshman Ryan Harp had a breakout game against the Tigers. He had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds and really energized the Mustangs when he dove into the stands to save the ball from going out of bounds.
Coach Doherty said, “Ryan Harp had a spectacular game,” as a result of his defensive hustle. Doherty believes that energy is necessary if the Mustangs want to keep playing well.
Similarly, Papa Dia and Bamba Fall added double doubles of their own. The men combined for 30 points, 21 rebounds and only four turnovers.
The Mustangs’ next game takes place Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. against UT-San Antonio.
