The matchup between the Mustangs and the Memphis Tigers ended in a massacre at Moody Coliseum as SMU (19-7 overall, 10-3 conference) defeated Memphis (18-8 overall, 7-6 conference) 106-79 in front of a crowd of 6,781 on Sunday afternoon.
Despite a stellar effort from Memphis senior David Jones, who dropped a game-high 33 points, the Tigers were no match for a red-hot Mustang squad, who took an early lead and never looked back. The high-scoring was a team effort; five Mustangs eclipsed double-digit scores during the game. SMU senior guard Ricardo Wright was at the top of the leaderboard with his season-high 26 points, three rebounds, and one block.
“[Coach Lanier] told me [to] be aggressive at all times, even if you’re missing, don’t hang your head,” Wright said. “So I took what he said and shot every time I felt like I was open.”
Junior Zhuric Phelps and senior Samuell Williamson supported Wright’s effort, each collecting 18 points. As a team, the Mustangs out-rebounded the Tigers 40-29. Coach Lanier attributed the high-scoring effort to the team’s improved physicality.
“As far as the rebounding, that’s an emphasis,” Lanier said. “That’s our goal as a team to really internalize the value of being aggressive on the glass and what it can do for your team, and tonight was a good example of why we need to do that.”
SMU entered the second half leading the scoreboard 58-36. The Tigers couldn’t find an answer for SMU’s aggressive offense after the break, as the red-hot Mustangs piled on three-pointers and monster slam dunks. The team displayed outstanding chemistry, connecting on several excellent passes and finding the open man with consistency.
“We’re very versatile,” Wright said. “Our defense leads to our offense. We had 28 assists tonight, so we just like playing with each other and got a good feel for each other.”
Moody Stadium remained loud and electric with energy throughout the game, but when junior Jackson Young capped the game with a deep three, the student section went into a deafening frenzy.
“[The atmosphere] was phenomenal,” Lanier said. “It was what I saw on TV back in 2012, 2013, when I was at Austin. That was my image of SMU. Tonight it felt that way, and our goal is to get to a point where that becomes the norm, regardless of who we play, that our fans come out by and large to watch us play. I really experienced Moody magic tonight.”
Regarding the energy at the Coliseum, Phelps added, “I don’t remember the last time Moody was that loud, it was amazing.”
SMU Men’s basketball hopes to continue their six-game win streak on the road when they take on Florida Atlantic University (20-6 overall, 10-3 conference) on Feb. 22.
