SMU Upsets USC
By The Sports Xchange
A 25-7 run spanning nearly 12 minutes in the second half powered Southern Methodist to a 72-55 win over No. 14 USC Saturday at Moody Coliseum in Dallas.
After falling behind 37-33, the Mustangs (7-2) stifled USC, holding the visiting Trojans without a field goal for 8:24. Shake Milton paced the SMU attack, connecting on 4-of-7 shots from behind the 3-point line for a game-high 22 points.
UNIVERSITY PARK, TX - DECEMBER 02: Southern Methodist Mustangs guard Jimmy Whitt (31) brings the ball up court during the game between SMU and USC on December 2, 2017 at Moody Coliseum in Dallas, TX. (Photo by George Walker/Icon Sportswire)
Milton was one of four Mustangs in double figures. Ben Emelogu II made four 3-pointers and had 16 points, while Jimmy Whitt and Jarrey Foster and Jimmy Whitt added 14 and 13 respectively.
Both Foster and Milton finished just shy of double-doubles. Foster grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, and Milton posteda season-best nine assists. Milton also hauled in five rebounds.
The loss marked the second straight for USC (4-2), and followed a similar pattern to its Nov. 26 defeat against Texas A&M when the Trojans gave up a 19-3 second-half run.
USC led much of the first half and took a lead into intermission when Jonah Mathews made a 3 just before the buzzer. Mathews finished with nine points on a night just one Trojan — forward Chimezie Metu — scored in double figures. Metu finished with 13 points.
USC committed a season-high 17 turnovers and shot just 5-of-17 from behind the arc. Bennie Boatwright struggled offensively for a second consecutive game, finishing with eight points and shooting 0-of-4 from deep, but he recorded a team-high eight rebounds.
