SMU Mustangs Set to Charge at East Carolina Pirates in Greenville Showdown
As the Southern Methodist University Mustangs prepare to face off against the East Carolina Pirates at Minges Coliseum, fans are eager for insights into what could unfold on January 13th. The SMU squad comes into this game with a mixed bag of recent performances, but there's reason to believe they could dominate the hardwood against ECU.
In their last outing on January 7th against the Memphis Tigers, SMU fell just short, scoring 59 points to Memphis's 62. Despite this loss, there were positives: SMU showed defensive prowess with six blocks and nine steals. However, their shooting left much to be desired; a mere 34 percent from the field and an abysmal 14 percent from beyond the arc won't cut it against ECU.
Contrastingly, in a home game on January 3rd versus the Charlotte 49ers, SMU emerged victorious with a score of 66-54. Their field goal percentage improved significantly to 44 percent and free throw accuracy was up at 71 percent. Notably impressive was their two-point shooting which stood at a solid 52 percent.
The most telling performance came before that when SMU decimated Murray State with an eye-popping scoreline of 92-65 on December 22nd. The Mustangs shot an outstandingly efficient game: hitting an incredible rate of both field goals (60 percent) and three-pointers (65 percent). This level of offensive execution is exactly what will be needed if they hope to sail past the Pirates.
ECU should not be underestimated though; any team playing in front of its home crowd deserves respect. But if SMU can replicate their high-scoring efficiency seen in December while tightening up defensively as they did against Memphis – even improving slightly – they have every chance of leaving Greenville victorious.
Mustangs fans should mark their calendars for January 13th at Minges Coliseum where tip-off is scheduled for a convenient afternoon slot at precisely three o'clock PM Central Time (4 PM Eastern). Those unable to attend can catch all the action streamed live over ESPN+, ensuring no one misses out on what promises to be an enthralling encounter between these two competitive teams.