Box Score | Postgame Notes
Photo Gallery

DALLAS (AP) -- Marcus Sasser scored 20 points, freshman Jarace Walker added 14 and No. 2 Houston cruised to an 80-65 victory over SMU on Thursday night.

With a win at home over Memphis on Sunday, the Cougars could be in line for their third stay atop The Associated Press Top 25 poll this season after losses by No. 1 Alabama and third-ranked Purdue, which has dropped three of four.

Jamal Shead, who scored 13 points, finished the first half with an isolation layup before starting the second half with one of his eight assists on a one-handed, alley-oop dunk by Walker.

Those plays were part of a 12-0 run on either side of halftime as the Cougars (24-2, 12-1 American Athletic Conference) took a 48-29 lead and led by at least 11 points the rest of the way in their sixth consecutive win.

Zhuric Phelps had 22 points, six rebounds and five assists to lead the Mustangs, (9-18, 4-10), who lost by 34 at Houston last month and never gave the often-raucous Moody Coliseum crowd much chance to get loud a year after a two-point upset of the Cougars at home.

One of Walker's two 3-pointers gave Houston its first 20-point lead midway through the second half, and Sasser pushed the lead to 23 with another 3 on the next possession. Sasser was 4 of 9 from deep.

J'Wan Roberts helped the Cougars establish a post presence early, making all four of his shots for all eight of his points in the first half. He had 10 rebounds.

The Mustangs finished with a respectable 11 turnovers, but four came in a three-minute span late in the first half and early in the second during the decisive 12-0 run by Houston.

SMU hosts East Carolina at home Sunday.

 

---

SMU Postgame Notes – February 16, 2023

• [2/2] Houston 80, SMU 65
• Houston (24-2, 12-1 American), SMU (9-18, 4-10 American)
• David B. Miller Court at Moody Coliseum – Dallas, Texas

 
NEXT GAME

• East Carolina – Sunday, February 19 – 2 p.m. CT – David B. Miller Court at Moody Coliseum – Dallas, Texas
• TV: ESPN+
• Radio: KAAM 770 AM | Audio Streaming: SMU App (Google Play | Apple App Store)

NOTES

• Starters: #1 Zhuric Phelps (G, So.), #2 Jalen Smith (G, So.), #10 Zach Nutall (G, Sr.), #11 Samuell Williamson (F, Sr.), #23 Efe Odigie (F, Sr.)
  • 15^th game with this lineup, including 9 of past 10 games
• SMU had 4 score in double figures: Zach Nutall (11), Efe Odigie (16), Zhuric Phelps (22), Samuell Williamson (12)
  • 10^th time at least four scoring in double figures, 9^th time in the past 16 games
  • Zach Nutall has 10+ in 4 of the past 5 games
  • Efe Odigie has scored 10+ in 11 of the past 13 games
  • Samuell Williamson has scored 10+ in 4 straight games
  • Zhuric Phelps 15^th game with 19+ points this season; has 10+ in 22 of his 25 games this season
• SMU shot 44.2% from the field (Houston entered leading the nation in FG% defense at 35.2% on the season)
• SMU had 15 assists on 23 made FGs
  • Zhuric Phelps (5), Samuell Williamson (4)
• SMU had 6 steals, entered game averaging 6.9 steals (4^th AAC)
  • Zhuric Phelps (2) – 14^th game with multiple steals this season

 
MILESTONES

• Zach Nutall reached 1,800 career points on a 3-pointer at 3:44 of the 1^st half
  • Now has 1,805 career points
  • Entered game 38^th in the NCAA for points among active career leaders
• Efe Odigie reached 1,200 career points on his and-1 at 4:59 of the 1^st half
  • Now has 1,210 career points

 
ADDITIONAL INDIVIDUAL NOTES
 
Zach Nutall (#10, Sr., G)

• 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
  • Entered game averaging 13.5 points (16^th AAC) and 2.0 threes made (12^th AAC)
  • 20^th time scoring 10+ this season
• 3-7 on 3FGs, entered game averaging 2.0 threes made (12^th AAC)
  • 6^th time making at least three 3-points in AAC play this season

 
 
Efe Odigie (#23, Sr., F)

• 16 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
  • Entered game averaging 11.0 points and 6.9 rebounds (8^th AAC)
  • 15^th game this season with 10+ points - 3^rd straight and 11 of the past 13
• 5-11 on FGs, entered game shooting 48.2% (13^th AAC)

 
Zhuric Phelps (#1, So., G) – AAC Player of the Week on Dec. 26, AAC Weekly Honor Roll on Nov. 28

• 22 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 blocked shot
  • Entered game averaging 17.4 points (6^th AAC), 2.3 steals (2^nd AAC, 15^th NCAA)
  • 22^nd game this season scoring 10+, 19^th game scoring 15+, 10^th game scoring 20+
  • 10^th game this season with at least 5 rebounds
  • 14^th game this season with multiple steals, has 35 in past 10  games
  • 15^th game this season with 3+ assists, had at least 5 assists in 5 of the past 8 games
  • 2-5 on 3FGs, has made multiple threes in 7 of the past 9 games

 
Samuell Williamson (#11, Sr., F) – AAC Weekly Honor Roll on Jan. 2

• 12 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal
  • Entered game averaging 8.6 points, 7.4 rebounds (5^th AAC), 1.3 steals (10^th AAC), 0.9 blocks (11^th AAC)
  • 12^th game this season scoring 10+, 4^th straight

• 14^th game this season with 3+ assists, including 7 of the past 8

 
INDIVIDUAL CAREER RECORDS
 
SMU Career 3FG Made
                1              273         Stephen Woods, 1996-00
                2              267         Robert Nyakundi, 2008-12
                3              256         Bryan Hopkins, 2002-06
                4              225         Nic Moore, 2013-16
                5              220         Troy Matthews, 1993-97
                6              190         Shake Milton, 2015-18
                7              170         Quinton Ross, 1999-03
                8              163         Jahmal McMurray, 2017-19
                9              161         Chad Allen, 1990-94
                10           133         Jeryl Sasser, 1997-01
                11           131         Mike Walker, 2007-11
                12           130         Kendric Davis, 2019-22
                13           128         Sterling Brown, 2013-17
                14           121         Jemeil Rich, 1994-97
                                121         Emmanuel Bandoumel, 2019-22
                16           120         Ethan Chargois, 2017-21
                17           119         Jon Killen, 2004-08
                18           113         Isiaha Mike, 2018-20
                19           107         Damon Hancock, 1998-02
                20           105         Ben Emelogu, 2014-18
                21           104         Zach Nutall, 2021-23
 
INDIVIDUAL SEASON RECORDS
 
SMU Season Steals
                1              79           Gerald Lewis (Sr.), 1992-93
                2              77           Carl Wright (So.), 1983-84
                3              76           Carl Wright (Jr.), 1984-85
                4              67           Willie Davis (Jr.), 1999-00
                5              63           Gerald Lewis (Jr.), 1991-92
                6              61           Bryan Hopkins (Fr.), 2002-03
                                61           Carlton McKinney (Sr.), 1987-88
                8              60           Jeryl Sasser (So.), 1998-99
                                60           Jimmy Whitt (So.), 2017-18
                10           59           Bryan Hopkins (Jr.), 2004-05
                11           58           Kato Armstrong (Jr.), 1987-88
                12           57           Markus Kennedy (So.), 2013-14
                                57           Zhuric Phelps (So.), 2022-23