SMU basketball update: Rewarding Relief

Mustangs Rally Past Tulane For First C-USA Win Under Doherty

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

It wasn't pretty, but SMU (12-7, 1-4) will certainly take it.

In desperate need of a "W" after three close losses - two at home - the Mustangs nipped Tulane, 55-53, after trailing by 13 in the second half.

Bamba Fall and Ike Ofoegbu were each a perfect 4-of-4 from the line to seal the win. Their eight free throws were SMU's only points over the last five minutes of the game.

Mustang starting point guard Jon Killen said getting over the hump was welcome.

"We had to keep believing and keep investing," he said. "We're all very excited about it. We're gonna enjoy it tonight and get ready for Tulsa tomorrow."

"Tonight, the fact that they got rewarded is big for the guys in that [SMU] locker room," said Mustangs coach Matt Doherty.

Forward Ike Ofoegbu led SMU with 19 points and seven rebounds.

"Ike … really battled," Doherty said. "We like to get him the ball. He gets fouled and he's making foul shots."

Killen and Devon Pearson also had seven boards, a career-high for Killen. Fall had three blocks.

Chris Moore, of McKinney, Tex., and Robinson Louisme led Tulane (8-9. 1-4) with 10 points each.

The Mustangs worked it inside more this night, taking only 12 3-point attempts.

SMU was without starting guard Derrick Roberts, who injured his right knee at end of the UTEP game. A MRI Monday showed no ligament damage, but a contusion on the bone. He'll be out 7-10 days.

Doherty said, "I challenged our guys, especially Dez [Willingham] and Brian Epps, saying, ‘OK, I'm sure you guys would like to play more. Here's an opportunity. Go out there and prove your worth.'"

"They didn't blow it up stat sheet-wise, but they gave us good contributions."

Although Tulane outrebounded SMU, 43-40, and had more points off turnovers, fast break points and bench points, the Mustangs made plays down the stretch.

Halftime Challenge

SMU trailed, 30-22, at the break, on 16-52 shooting, or 28.6 percent.

Doherty challenged his team in the locker room, with 0-5 staring them in the face.

"I told them at half time, ‘There's gonna be plaque on the wall. What's it gonna say? 0-16 or, maybe, 12-4?'"

"What's your legacy gonna be?"

"He just told us to handle our business," Ofoegbu said.

In the second half, as The Green Wave continued to lead by double digits with 10 minutes remaining, Doherty sensed trouble.

"After [Killen] took that 25-footer that almost broke the backboard, I called timeout - and I laughed - and I went to each of them and I grabbed their foreheads and asked the demons to come out," Doherty said.

Killen said, "I think [Coach Doherty] thought maybe we were panicking a little bit."

"He just wanted to put a smile on our faces," said Ofoegbu. "That helped a lot too."

Ofoegbu got the rally started with two buckets and a blocked shot. Killen's three-point play after being fouled drew SMU to within three, 46-43, with 8:19 remaining.

Tulane edged back out to a 7-point lead, before the Mustangs' final push.

Jumpers in the paint by Pearson and Willingham made it 51-47, then Fall and Ofoegbu did the rest from the charity stripe.

While pleased with just 12 Mustang turnovers, down from 24 versus UTEP, Doherty would prefer a positive assist-to-turnover ratio. SMU had six assists on the night. He also noted Tulane doesn't press like Houston and UTEP.

Overall, SMU shot 30.8 percent from the field.

Road Test

SMU now faces a harsh three-game road test while being shorthanded, as they have stops at Tulsa, UAB and Memphis in the coming days.

"The games are scheduled," Doherty said. "We'll show up. We'll fight. We're not gonna have any excuses."

Doherty said the first conference win was a relief, but he'd felt no tremendous pressure.

"I've been in worse situations," he said. "I've been 8-20 at North Carolina . You're talking about 20 reporters and ten microphones, national TV audience - having to face that."

Next game: Saturday, January 24 @ Tulsa , 7 p.m.

Two after that: Wednesday, January 31 @ UAB, 7 p.m., Saturday, February 3 @ Memphis, 11 a.m., ESPN2

Ronnie sez:

"I think it's gonna be a big boost to them. They definitely needed to get a win under their belt in conference play."

"If they'd lost that and had to go on this road trip … that would've been a real downer, to be [possibly] looking at an 0-8 (in league play)."

(Ronnie Perry has followed SMU hoops since 1957.)

Notes:

• The crowd of 1,636 looked and sounded like more. The student section was packed. Doherty and the team high-fived students as they left the court.
• One of Coach Doherty's goals is for SMU to make more free throws than its opponent attempts. The Mustangs are 8-2 when doing so. Wednesday, SMU made 19 free throws compared to only 13 attempts for Tulane.

Tulane coach Dave Dickerson on Doherty: "If there's anyone in the country who can get this team playing, and get this team back on the right track, it's him."

• Will Methodist ministers now turn their whining to Doherty's "exorcism" and get off the Bush Library? Stay tuned.
• Legendary former Mustang Band director Irving Dreibrodt passed away Monday, January 22, at his home. He was 86.