Big start leads SMU to 79-67 win over Oral Roberts

Dec 3, 2019, 06:07 am

DALLAS -- Ethan Chargois scored 17 points and Jahmal McMurray added 16 and SMU used a big first half to defeat Oral Roberts 79-67 on Sunday.

Jimmy Whitt Jr. and Isiaha Mike opened the game with 3-pointers and the Mustangs (6-3) led 14-4 when Mike knocked down his second trey 4 1/2 minutes in. McMurray had back-to-back layups to start a 10-0 run that made for a 26-10 lead and the Golden Eagles (3-7) trailed 42-23 at the half, shooting 30 percent to SMU's 55.

D.J. Weaver hit consecutive 3-pointers and Aidan Saunders converted a 3-point play that pulled Oral Roberts within 67-59 with 3:41 to play. Baskets by Emmanuel Nzekwesi twice cut the deficit to seven with more than two minutes to go, but a McMurray 3-pointer with 1:52 left put the lead back at 10.

Nzekwesi had 18 points for Oral Roberts, which shot 60 percent in the second half, making 9 of 15 3-pointers.