SMU closes strong with a 19-7 run to beat No. 21 Louisville, boosting its NCAA Tournament résumé with a key Quad 1 victory.
SMU men’s basketball made sure history didn’t repeat itself Tuesday night.
After letting a late lead slip away in its previous game, the Mustangs flipped the script in a statement 95-85 victory over No. 21 Louisville at Moody Coliseum.
The win gives SMU its second triumph over a ranked opponent this season - a major boost to its NCAA Tournament resume.
Head coach Andy Enfield’s squad saved its best stretch for the final six minutes, ripping off a decisive 19-7 run to pull away in a game that had been a track meet from the opening tip.
"This was really important. They're Top 15 or Top 18 in the NET," Enfield said. "It's a Quad 1 win at home. We lost at the buzzer our last game. So you have to beat teams like this. You have to beat teams like this to go to the NCAA tournament, beat teams like this to get a decent seed."
The first half alone felt like an All-Star showcase. Both teams shot better than 50 percent from the floor and combined for 101 points before the break. Louisville drilled nine 3-pointers in the opening 20 minutes, while SMU countered with six of its own to carry a slim halftime edge.
"We like to play fast. We're at our best when we play fast," Enfield said. "The first half was incredible shot-making by both teams. I've never seen a half like that in college basketball, 52-49. Both teams were really efficient offensively, and the shot-making was just spectacular. The fans got a treat in that first half. Luckily, we kept making some shots in the second (half)."
The difference came down to execution and defense down the stretch.
"I felt like we were the second-half team tonight," Boopie Miller said after the game. "I feel like all the other games we lost, we were up. We showed we were better than every team. We just weren't a second-half team in those games. But I feel like we've shown we can beat and compete with any team in the league. And I feel like we've done that tonight."
Jaron Pierre Jr. led the Mustangs with 25 points and seven rebounds, bouncing back from a quiet performance in the first meeting between the teams. Boopie Miller added 23 points and a game-high nine assists, controlling tempo when it mattered most.
But it was Corey Washington who delivered two of the biggest shots of the night. The sophomore forward finished with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting and buried three triples. His back-to-back three-pointers midway through the second half ignited the crowd and helped SMU seize momentum for good.
The Mustangs shot 57 percent in the second half and dominated the paint 46-30. They also forced 17 turnovers while committing just 10 themselves - a key contrast from their earlier loss to Louisville, when offensive struggles doomed them late.
Defensively, SMU tightened up over the final 10 minutes, limiting Louisville to 36 percent shooting after halftime.
With the victory, SMU strengthens its standing in the ACC race and positions itself more favorably for March Madness consideration. Still, Enfield emphasized that consistency remains critical.
The Mustangs proved they can close. Now, the challenge is doing it again.