SMU Basketball Update: Panic Beaten Back

‘Ugly’ Win Follows Stunning Loss to South Carolina-Upstate

DALLAS – With Thursday’s 57-49 comeback win over Prairie View A&M, young SMU avoided a severe confidence meltdown - at least for now. After falling two days earlier to a team that had never beaten a Division I opponent, South Carolina-Upstate, the Mustangs didn’t need another blow to their psyche.

That loss, decided by two free throws with 0.6 seconds remaining, nearly knocked the Mustangs and head coach Matt Doherty for a loop.

“I think losing to Upstate really shocked our guys after winning four in a row,” Doherty said. “And I think a little bit of a panic set in.”

The Mustangs collected 17 points off turnovers.

Doherty singled out guard Ryan Harp for his defensive play and hustle, calling his contribution “critical.”

Said Harp: “I just felt like that’s what I needed to do for us to grind it out and win the game.”

Derrick Roberts led SMU with 15 points. The Mustangs blocked nine shots and tallied 13 steals, both tying season-high marks.

Fall had four blocks, nine rebounds and was 8-12 from the free throw line. Guard Mike Walker led the Mustangs with five steals.

SMU made 45 trips to the free throw line, 36 in the second half. Though the Mustangs sank only 30, (66.7 percent), it was enough this night.

Slow Start

Things didn’t start well for the Mustangs, who trailed Prairie View, 24-22, at the break. SMU hit just seven of 24 shots (29 percent) in the first half. At times Doherty showed stress at the prospect of another shocking loss, angrily yelling instructions and stomping the floor.

This Derrick Roberts' three with 11:34 to play put SMU up for good over Prairie View A&M.

Then, trailing, 33-27, five minutes into the second half, SMU caught a spark.

Paulius Ritter’s driving lay-up tied the game, 33-33, and, a minute later, Roberts’ deep-corner 3-pointer put the Mustangs up for good. SMU’s jitters-busting 16-0 run ended with a commanding 43-33 lead with seven minutes left.

The difference? Doherty went with a smaller lineup in the second half, three and four guards, to combat Prairie View’s offensive quickness. And there was this: Doherty said he had another Tar Heel flashback, this time during the game. It was of his former coach, Dean Smith, in a tense huddle.

“He was always smiling and … gave you a calming effect,” Doherty said, adding he realized his Mustangs needed that. “I tried to do that more in the second half,” he said.

“He tried to get us to play loose,” Fall said of Doherty. “He told us to just go ahead a play.”

Still, with 0:24 seconds remaining and SMU leading by seven, a Jon Killen turnover under Prairie View’s basket gave the Panthers hope. After Prairie View missed two shots, Fall was fouled and he sank both free throws. Disaster averted.

During the next timeout, a relieved Doherty laid hands on Killen’s head, in a probably only half-joking “turnover exorcism,” something Doherty has done before.

Killen had a tough night overall, going 0-5 from the field with three turnovers.

“He wants it too much,” Doherty said. “He’s gotta relax a little bit. And that’s easier said than done.”

Prairie View’s top scorer was guard Brian Ezeh, with 11 points. He also led the Panthers with10 boards.

Shooting Woes

SMU also shot poorly against Upstate, hitting just 39 percent from the field.

Bamba Fall (21) led SMU with nine rebounds and four blocked shots. His 12 points were second to Roberts' 15.

Why aren’t they falling, Coach? “I think … we need to screen the cut better and move the ball,” Doherty said. “Then, we’ve just gotta be able to knock down shots. I think that comes from just getting in the gym, seeing the ball go through the hoop and having confidence.”

“Hopefully, the next time we play, we make shots early,” he said.

Doherty said shots have been banging off the rim in practice. “One minute, I want to get mad at them, just to shake ‘em,” he said. “Another minute, I want to put my arm around them and say, ‘Hey, it’s gonna be alright.’”

“It’s so much psychological, especially with a young team. One of the reasons that we had a schedule that was relatively … a soft schedule was [so] that they’d develop confidence. Unfortunately, that hasn’t worked out, because we’re … 5-5.”

“They’re great kids and they’re working hard,” Doherty said of his team. “And hopefully, we’ll be able to win a few more games before the year’s out.”

Next Two for SMU:

• Holiday Classic - Saturday, December 29, vs. Texas State, 2:00 p.m.

• Holiday Classic - Sunday, December 30, vs. Stephen F. Austin, 4:30 p.m.

Ronnie sez:
“I was really disappointed with the loss to South Carolina-Upstate, but I’m glad to see they … beat Prairie View. I feel like they had a lot more intensity in the way they played last night and I think in order for them to be competitive in any of the games they’ve got coming up, they’re just gonna have to really give it 100-percent effort.” … “But I know they’re young and I know they’re gonna get better.”

Ronnie Perry (SMU ’69) has followed SMU basketball since 1957.

SMU Basketball Notes:

• Average home attendance, last three games: 1,991.

• SMU has never lost to Prairie View in seven games, all at Moody Coliseum.

• The Mustangs’ leading scorers after 10 games: Killen (11.3), Fall (10.7) and Roberts (10.1).

• Papa Dia is SMU’s leading rebounder, averaging 7.1 per game.

• Fall now has 139 career blocked shots, fourth in SMU history behind Patrick Simpson (151), Ira Terrell (269) and Jon Koncak (278).