Men's Basketball Drops 80-64 Decision to SMU

Sunday, January 15

Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse

5 p.m. CT

Tulane University

4-13, 1-4AAC

SMU

15-4, 5-1AAC

SMU

Tulane

Photo by: Parker Waters

Jan 15, 2017 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

NEW ORLEANS – The Tulane men's basketball team trailed by just two points at halftime, but SMU clamped down in the final 20 minutes of an 80-64 American Athletic Conference victory over the Green Wave on Sunday evening at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse.

Kain Harris led the Green Wave (4-13, 1-4 AAC) with 16 points off the bench, recording his fifth-straight game in double-figures. Cameron Reynolds added 13 points and eight rebounds, while Malik Morgan also reached double-digits with 11 points. Ryan Smith led all players with a career-high 12 rebounds.

Semi Ojeleye led four SMU (15-4, 5-1 AAC) scorers in double-figures with a game-high 21 points, as Jarrey Foster chipped in 19 points. Ben Moore added 15 points, while Shake Milton compiled 11 points, nine rebounds and four assists for a Mustang team that committed just 10 turnovers.

SMU built its first double-digit lead just 10 minutes into the game when a Milton layup made it 25-14 as part of a 7-0 scoring run. Trailing 31-19 with 6:30 remaining in the half, the Green Wave broke out on an 8-0 scoring run in just two minutes of time to cut its deficit to four points. The Mustangs ended the run with a pair of free throws, before Colin Slater responded with a triple at the other end to bring the Wave within three, 33-30.

With the shot clock off and Tulane holding the ball, Reynolds drew a double team under the basket before sending a pass to the corner where Harris buried a three with one second left on the clock to send the Green Wave into halftime trailing by only two, 37-35.

SMU took advantage of three Tulane turnovers in the first four minutes of the second half and scored 12-straight points, capped by a Foster three-point play, to build a 49-35 lead. Tulane got it back to single digits in just three minutes with six-straight points, but would draw no closer than eight points for the remainder of the night.

The Mustangs' scoring margin grew to plus-20 for the first time with just under three minutes left in the game, but a three and a layup by Morgan cut the deficit to its final mark – 16 points.

Tulane shot 24-for-58 (.414) overall, 6-for-25 (.240) beyond the arc and 10-for-11 (.909) at the free throw line on the night, while SMU went 31-for-61 (.508) from the floor, 9-for-20 (.450) from outside and 9-for-12 (.750) at the foul stripe.

The Mustangs outscored the Green Wave, 38-32, in the paint and 18-8 off turnovers, while the green and olive owned a 15-14 edge in second-chance points, a 19-7 margin off the bench and outrebounded the opposition, 35-32.

Tulane will travel to Oklahoma for its next conference tilt on Wednesday, Jan. 18 to play Tulsa. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. (CT) at the Reynolds Center, and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNews.