SMU Mustangs Fade Late in Road Loss to No. 20 Louisville
The SMU Mustangs saw a promising start evaporate in the second half on Saturday, falling 88-74 to No. 20 Louisville at the KFC Yum! Center. Despite controlling the tempo early and taking a lead into halftime, the Mustangs could not withstand a decisive surge by the Cardinals after the break, dropping their ACC road test in Kentucky.
SMU opened the game with high efficiency, jumping out to an early 14-4 advantage. The Mustangs’ offense appeared potent in the first twenty minutes, shooting 59% from the field and connecting on 4 of their first 5 three-point attempts. Guard Boopie Miller led the charge for SMU, finishing with 20 points to mark his 28th consecutive game scoring in double figures. His efforts helped the Mustangs carry a 47-44 lead into the locker room, appearing poised for an upset against a ranked conference opponent.
The momentum shifted dramatically in the second half. Louisville, coming off a heavy defeat to Duke earlier in the week, tightened its defense and found a rhythm that SMU could not match. The Cardinals utilized a pivotal 10-0 run to seize control, taking the lead for good on a transition layup with just under 15 minutes remaining. While SMU managed to briefly reclaim a one-point edge at 62-61, they were ultimately undone by a lack of depth and cooling shooting hands.
A primary factor in the Mustangs’ collapse was the stark disparity in bench production. Louisville’s reserves dominated the game, outscoring SMU’s bench 47-5. Freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. came off the bench to score a team-high 20 points for the Cardinals, igniting the home crowd and stabilizing the offense. In contrast, SMU’s reliance on its starters took a toll as the game wore on; the team shot just 37% from the floor in the second half, struggling to execute the high-powered offense that had established the early lead.
The loss halts a two-game winning streak for SMU, who entered the contest boasting the ACC’s top-scoring offense at over 87 points per game. For the Mustangs, the result highlights the difficulty of sustaining performance for a full forty minutes against the conference’s upper echelon. The defeat drops SMU to 15-6 overall and 4-4 in ACC play, while Louisville improves to 15-6 and 5-4 in the conference. SMU will look to regroup when they host North Carolina State on Tuesday, while Louisville prepares to face Notre Dame.
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