SMU basketball update: Pirates Sent Packing

SMU Thumps ECU, 65-42, For First Dominating C-USA Win

CUSA Fans SMU Correspondent Rick Atkinson brings you his latest SMU basketball update.

DALLAS - On a four-game losing skid and without three key players, the SMU Mustangs needed to make an early statement against lowly East Carolina (0-12, 5-20).

And they did.

The Mustangs smoked the net for six three-pointers to open the game and shot 59 percent in the first half to cruise past the Pirates, 65-42, Saturday at Moody Coliseum.

SMU's Donatas Rackauskas (25) and Cameron Spencer battle the Pirates for a rebound.

“We didn’t want to give [ECU] any sense of confidence to start the game,” said SMU head coach Matt Doherty.

Without injured starters Bamba Fall and Devon Pearson - and senior Brian Epps, who was dismissed from the team Friday - SMU responded well to the challenge.

“They came out and they played the best game of the year,” Doherty said. “And I think that shows the character of the young men on this team.”

SMU (14-12, 3-9) led 37-20 at the break and never trailed, leading by as many as 28 points in the second half. It was the Mustangs’ first comfortable-margin conference win of the season.

Five Mustangs scored in double figures, led by Derrick Roberts’ 15. Roberts, still recovering from a knee injury, said he’s 85 percent healthy and starting to find his rhythm.

“I feel like my timing … was better [tonight] than it’s been in a long time,” he said.

Dez Willingham, named point guard for the game, added 14 points, including four threes. Ike Ofoegbu, Jon Killen and Donatas Rackauskas each pumped in 11 points.

Ofoegbu also had 15 boards for his eighth double-double of the season.

ECU shot just 25 percent from the field. Darrell Jenkins led the Pirates with 13 points and Gabe Blair had 12 rebounds.

SMU hit 52 percent of its shots, including 7 of 12 from the beyond the arc.

Doherty said the Mustangs’ hot shooting was a result of extra shooting practice since Wednesday’s close loss at Marshall .

“We got good looks at Marshall, but didn’t knock them down,” he said.

Ofoegbu added, “I feel like the last couple of games, we’ve lost the games ourselves. It hasn’t been the other team beating us, or [that] they’re a better team than us. It’s us not making shots. Tonight, everybody was making shots.”

ECU head coach Ricky Stokes plots strategy during a first half timeout.

In the past, Doherty has had strict guidelines on who may shoot threes, and when. The rules may be relaxing a bit. “It’s such a balance and I’ve gone back and forth at times,” Doherty said. “I think our shooters have gotten better.”

“I can’t turn down open shots. We’ve got to keep taking them - as long as they’re good shots. I don’t want to fire the first three we look at, but if it’s in the flow of our offense, we have to take it.”

Doherty said he was pleased to see the Mustangs finish with more assists, (17), than turnovers, (14). SMU did, however, struggle from the foul line, missing eight of 16 free throw attempts.

Paulius Ritter and freshman Cameron Spencer saw increased minutes for SMU, collecting four rebounds each, but no points. Doherty said both did a good job going after the ball.

The reason for Epps’ dismissal was not disclosed.

“We just have core values in the program.” Doherty said. “If I don’t enforce those values, then we’re running a loose ship. I’m not gonna run a loose ship.”

“We’ll pay for his education and make sure we encourage him to finish up and get his degree. That’s the best thing he can do and I encourage his teammates to be his friend and support him.”

In 19 games this year, including four starts, Epps averaged 9.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.

Next game: Wednesday, February 21, @ UTEP, 8 p.m.

Two after that: Saturday, February, 24 @ Rice, 7 p.m.; Wednesday, February 28, vs. Tulsa , 7 p.m.

Ike Ofoegbu sinks a free throw in the first half.

Ronnie sez:
“I think it’s a good win. At this point in the season, any win is a good win for SMU. I hope we can get another win or two down the stretch here.”

(Ronnie Perry has followed SMU hoops since 1957.)

SMU Basketball Notes:

• Doherty said Pearson’s knee MRI showed no ACL damage, just a sprain. “Hopefully, he’ll be off crutches on Monday,” Doherty said. “It’s really a matter of how quickly he feels comfortable with it.” Fall is still out after suffering a fractured finger against Rice. Neither is expected to play against UTEP on Wednesday.

• Five of SMU’s conference losses have been by five points or less. “We could easily be tied for second in this league,” Doherty said, adding he’s told the team, “Hey, people are throwing dirt on us right now. Well, we’re gonna push that dirt right back out of the hole and let them know we’re very much alive.”

• SMU’s two previous C-USA wins, Tulane and UAB, were won by a combined six points.

• Former SMU AD Jim Copeland was courtside for the game. Doherty led the applause when Copeland was recognized by a second half PA announcement. Said Doherty after the game, “Jim really deserves a lot of credit for carrying [SMU athletics] from a tough period … to a period, now, where there’s a lot of hope.”

• Former first-team All-Southwest Conference guard Denny Holman received The Silver Mustang Award from SMU’s Letterman’s Association at halftime. Holman played on SMU’s 1966 and 1967 SWC Champion, NCAA tournament teams.