Can SMU Mustangs Rebound Against UTSA Roadrunners' Sharpshooting?
The Southern Methodist University Mustangs faced a challenging contest against the UTSA Roadrunners, culminating in a narrow defeat with a final score of 77-73. The Mustangs now stand at an even record, while the Roadrunners improved their standing. Despite the loss, the home team displayed resilience and determination throughout the game.
The Moody Coliseum was filled with anticipation as fans witnessed an intense battle where control of the game shifted multiple times, evidenced by 17 lead changes. The SMU Mustangs started strong in the first half, securing 36 points but were slightly overtaken as the Roadrunners managed to put up 34 points on the board. However, it was during the second half that UTSA found their rhythm and outscored SMU by accumulating 43 points to SMU's 37.
The Mustangs showcased their defensive skills with eight steals and five blocks but fell short compared to UTSA's six blocks and four steals. On offense, both teams had similar field goal percentages; however, it was from beyond the arc where UTSA held a distinct advantage with a three-point shooting percentage of 43 percent compared to SMU's lower rate of 31 percent.
SMU did excel in certain areas; they outrebounded their opponents with a total of 42 rebounds against UTSA's 39 and dominated in offensive rebounds grabbing an impressive total of 15 compared to just eight by UTSA. This effort translated into more second-chance opportunities for SMU who scored 17 second-chance points over UTSA’s tally of just thirteen.
Despite these efforts, turnovers proved costly for SMU as they gave up possession ten times which led to twelve points off turnovers for UTSA. In contrast, while also turning over possession twelve times themselves, UTSA managed only three team turnovers indicating better ball control during critical plays.
A standout performance came from within The Mustangs' ranks; they fought valiantly in scoring inside paint totaling at thirty-two points versus twenty-six by their opponents. Their fast-break execution was nearly flawless resulting in ten fast break points but still fell one point short when compared against nine from Roadrunners’ end-to-end plays.
Looking ahead after this hard-fought match-up at Moody Coliseum located at Airline Road Dallas TX zip code:75205 – home fans can look forward to seeing if The Mustangs can bounce back when they host East Carolina Pirates on March sixth at seven o'clock PM Central Time Zone broadcasted on ESPN+.