SMU rallies to stay perfect despite being down to six players
They were down to six scholarship players. They were facing a late seven-point deficit. They have no postseason bid to play for this season.
SMU had every reason to give up hope on Thursday night against Cincinnati, but somehow the Mustangs persevered and found a way to keep their bid for a perfect season alive.
In one of the gutsier victories of the college basketball season, 15th-ranked SMU rallied for a 59-57 victory over the Bearcats. The Mustangs finished the game on an 11-2 surge spearheaded by seniors Nic Moore and Jordan Tolbert.
Moore sank a pair of critical 3-pointers to give SMU hope, the first to the left of the top of the key with just over two minutes remaining and the second a minute later from the left corner. Cincinnati regained the lead on a pair of Octavius Ellis free throws, but Tolbert scored a go-ahead tip-in with 32 seconds remaining and then preserved the advantage with a potential game-saving block of a Troy Caupain layup at the other end.
That SMU (14-0) was even in contention down the stretch is remarkable considering the roster attrition the Mustangs have endured.
SMU's issues began in November when junior guard Ben Emelogu underwent season-ending knee surgery and continued last month when backup point guard Sedrick Barefield left the program and Duke transfer Semi Ojeleye chose to redshirt. Things only got worse this week when McDonald's All-American Keith Frazier departed, leaving the Mustangs with only seven scholarship players.
Their ranks thinned further 13 minutes into the first half Thursday night when starting guard Sterling Brown was ejected for leaving the bench during a minor skirmish under the basket. Brown actually only roamed a couple steps from the scorer's table, where he was set to check in, but the referees cut him no slack.
Without Brown, Moore and Shake Milton played 39 and 40 minutes and fringe rotation player Jerrey Foster logged 21 minutes off the bench. Forward Ben Moore led SMU with 15 points, Nic Moore had 14 and Tolbert and Milton scored 11 apiece.
Cincinnati projected to be one of SMU's toughest opponents in league play considering the Bearcats returned almost their entire rotation from last year's NCAA tournament team. Mick Cronin's team is a bit more efficient on offense this season but is not quite so smothering on defense, which has contributed to their pedestrian 11-5 record after a 7-0 start.
Thursday's game will be one Cincinnati remembers as a missed opportunity because it led for much of the second half. The Bearcats controlled the offensive glass, forced 17 turnovers and got 18 points from Farad Cobb, but they were done by a 20-9 foul differential and by their inability to get a stop down the stretch.
Shorthanded as it is, SMU has a chance to stay unbeaten for at least a few more weeks thanks to a soft upcoming schedule.
The Mustangs' next three games are against UCF, East Carolina and Tulane. Not until they host Houston on Jan. 19 and they visit Temple on Jan. 23 should they be challenged again.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
