Boopie Miller scored 28 points, including the tying bucket to force overtime and six points in the extra session, and SMU remained undefeated by rallying past Mississippi State 87-81 on Friday night in Starkville, Miss.
Jaron Pierre Jr. added 24 points and Corey Washington had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Mustangs (8-0).
Jayden Epps poured in 21 points, Ja’Borri McGhee scored 17, Josh Hubbard added 16 and Quincy Ballard had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulldogs (3-4).
Miller opened the scoring in overtime with a jumper, and he hit another jumper to break a 76-76 tie. B.J. Edwards’ steal and dunk and Washington’s free throws following another turnover gave SMU an 82-76 lead with 1:25 left.
Mississippi State got within three with 42 seconds left, but the Mustangs made three free throws.
SMU trailed by four at halftime, but Pierre scored six of the Mustangs’ first eight points in the second half and they got within 48-47.
Hubbard made a layup, McGhee hit a 3-pointer and Brandon Walker added a layup to give the Bulldogs a seven-point lead. Edwards made field goals two minutes apart for SMU, but Hubbard made three free throws for a nine-point lead.
Miller converted a four-point play and made another 3-pointer 20 seconds later to get the Mustangs within two points. For the rest of regulation, the margin hung between one and five points.
Pierre made a 3-pointer and converted a three-point play to get SMU within 71-70, and soon Miller hit two free throws to tie the score. Ballard’s dunk gave Mississippi State a 74-72 lead before Miller’s game-tying shot in the paint.
SMU’s Jermaine O’Neal Jr. made two 3-pointers to help give the Mustangs a 21-15 lead. The score was tied four times before Ballard’s layup gave Mississippi State the lead.
The lead changed hands twice before Epps made a pair of triples to give the Bulldogs a 39-33 lead. SMU closed within two points before Walker’s layup gave Mississippi State a 43-39 halftime lead.
–Field Level Media
