SMU guard Mike Walker goes for a jump shot against Rice defender Connor Frizzelle last Wednesday at Moody Coliseum. SMU won the game 67-57. (CASEY LEE/The Daily Campus)

The SMU men’s basketball had a strong win on the road last night against East Carolina University, defeating the Pirates with a final score of 59-54. With the win, the Mustangs leapfrog into a three-way tie for sixth place.

Although the first shot fell in favor of the Pirates, the Mustangs went up 4-2 less than five minutes into the first half when junior Mike Walker took a fast break and turned it into 3-pointer. SMU held the lead for nearly the entire game, with the lead permanently in their favor with nine minutes remaining in the first half. 

The Mustangs worked as a team in the first period, with no player performing heads above the rest. The Mustangs went into halftime ahead, 26-20.  Their 75% accuracy from the free throw line and 40-percent 3-point shooting statistics distinguished them from the Pirates, who shot only two free throws and sunk only two 3-pointers.

Both teams played a much tighter game in the second half, when ECU came out on the court itching for the win. At one point, the Mustangs managed to build their lead to 12 points, but then went cold with 12 minutes remaining in the second half. SMU allowed the Pirates to go on a 14-5 run, during which the Pirates came within a single point of the Mustangs, 48-47.

SMU stole back the momentum with a 3-pointer from senior Mouhammad Faye and then for nearly four minutes, no one was able to score, except for a single free throw basket from the Pirates.

In what was a relatively low-scoring game, senior Derek Williams led the Mustangs with 13 points, followed by junior Papa Dia’s 10. Sophomore Justin Haynes and Dia led the team in rebounds, posting seven and six, respectively.