Jaron Pierre Jr. scored 25 points and grabbed seven rebounds as Southern Methodist outlasted No. 21 Louisville 95-85 in Dallas on Tuesday.
The Atlantic Coast Conference’s top two scoring offenses put up a fast-paced showcase that featured 16 ties and 17 lead changes. In the end, the Mustangs (18-8, 7-6 ACC) were able to pull away thanks to shooting 58.5% (38 of 65) from the field.
Pierre scored 13 of his points in the second half. It was the fourth time the fifth-year guard eclipsed the 20-point mark in the past five games.
SMU’s Boopie Miller finished with 23 points and nine assists, and his jumper with 6:19 left broke a 76-all tie and put the Mustangs up for good. Corey Washington added 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting as SMU won for the third time in four games.
Washington made all three of his 3-point attempts, leading a 9-of-19 effort (47.4%) from beyond the arc for the Mustangs.
SMU made its last six shots in the first half to take a 52-49 lead into halftime. The Mustangs hit 60% (21 of 35) from the floor in the opening 20 minutes. In addition to the final six, they also made eight straight during a nearly five-minute stretch midway through the first half.
That hot hand continued after halftime. SMU made six straight over a 3:37 span to build an 89-81 lead with 3:15 left.
The Cardinals (19-7, 8-5) gave up 90-plus points for the first time this season, and their five-game winning streak ended.
Mikel Brown Jr. led Louisville with 29 points. The freshman guard continued his high level of play with his third straight game of 29 or more points and his eighth 20-point game of the season. He hit on 11 of 18 shots but committed a season-high seven turnovers.
Five of Brown’s turnovers came in the second half, when Louisville committed 12 of its season-high 17. The Cardinals also shot just 36.4% (12 of 33) in the second half as the Mustangs wore them down.
J’Vonne Hadley added 14 points and nine rebounds for Louisville. Ryan Conwell finished with 12, but he shot just 4 of 16 from the field.
–Field Level Media
