Box Score | Postgame Notes
By Dylan Edwards, SMUMustangs.com
HOUSTON (SMU) – Playing shorthanded and on the road, SMU didn't quite have enough to close out Houston down the stretch, falling 67-58, on Thursday night.
The Mustangs led by seven with just six minutes to play, but the limited roster caught up with SMU. SMU only had seven scholarship players available and was without leading scorer Shake Milton for the second straight game. Houston closed the game on a 17-1 run as the Mustangs couldn't find the play late to stem the Cougars' comeback.
Despite the tough result, several Mustangs stepped up in the absence of Milton and Jarrey Foster to put SMU in the lead late against a team that hasn't lost at home all season. SMU led for more than half of the game on the road against a Houston team that knocked down 11 shots from 3-point range (11-for-25).
Junior Jahmal McMurray once again played a huge role on the offensive end, leading the Mustangs with 17 points while knocking in 4-of-7 shots from 3-point range. Milton's 18 points per game is difficult to replace, but McMurray provided a spark early with his hot shooting to keep up with a Houston team that was also hitting shots.
Freshman William Douglas rose to the occasion on the road with the best offensive performance of his young Mustang career. Houston left him open on occasion, and Douglas responded with a career-high 11 points. Entering tonight's game, Douglas had scored just two points this season in conference play.
Senior Akoy Agau had one of his most active games of the season, notching season-highs in both points and rebounds. Agau scored 13 on efficient 5-for-8 shooting while grabbing a team-high seven rebounds.
Both teams shot very well from outside, knocking down a combined 21 3-pointers while each shooting better than 40 percent. SMU built a second half lead and led for nearly 22 minutes against a Houston team that was hitting shots consistently. The Houston comeback over the final five minutes came because shots stopped falling for the Mustangs. SMU missed its last seven shots of the game and nine of the last 10.
SMU only turned the ball over 13 times in the contest, but five of those came over the final six minutes of the game. It was during that stretch that SMU most notably missed Milton's dynamic offensive presence and ability to make a play off the dribble. Milton is still day-to-day with a right hand injury.
The Mustangs return home to host No. 6 Cincinnati on Sunday, February 11 at 3 p.m.
