Can the SMU Mustangs Bounce Back After Narrow Defeat at FedExForum?

The Southern Methodist University Mustangs faced a challenging contest against the Memphis Tigers, culminating in a nail-biting 59-62 scoreline. The Mustangs now stand with an unranked status, while the Tigers boast a rank of 15. The first half saw the Mustangs take a lead with 36 points over the Tigers' 24, but the tables turned in the second half as they could only add another 23 points to their tally compared to the Tigers' impressive surge of 38 points.

At FedExForum, home of the Memphis Tigers, an audience of 12,132 witnessed an intense battle where both teams left everything on court. The SMU Mustangs showcased their defensive skills with six blocks and nine steals throughout the game. They also worked well as a unit providing twelve assists and capitalized on fast breaks scoring nine points.

The offensive rebounds were particularly telling for SMU; they managed to grab sixteen compared to Memphis's six which led to nineteen second-chance points for SMU. Despite this effort, shooting accuracy was not on their side as they made just three out of twenty-one three-point attempts resulting in a mere fourteen percent success rate from beyond the arc.

SMU's presence in paint was dominant with thirty-eight points scored inside but it wasn't enough to secure victory. Their field goal percentage stood at thirty-four percent after making twenty-two out of sixty-five attempts and from free-throw line they shot fifty-seven percent by making twelve out of twenty-one shots.

Memphis Tigers countered effectively with ten blocks and six steals while also providing thirteen assists. They had better shooting efficiency than SMU; forty-four percent from field goals by making twenty-three out of fifty-two attempts and thirty percent from three-point range sinking six out of twenty shots.

The game was tightly contested evidenced by five times tied scoreline and one lead change indicating how competitive it was until final buzzer sounded off marking end of match-up between these two conference rivals.

Looking ahead for Southern Methodist University Mustangs fans, team will be visiting East Carolina Pirates at Minges Coliseum located in Greenville NC on January 13th at 3:00 PM local time (4:00 PM EST). This upcoming game will be available for viewing via ESPN+ internet broadcast network ensuring fans won't miss any action as their team seeks redemption following recent setback.