DALLAS, Texas -- SMU went on a game-altering 37-7 run that spanned the final 10 minutes of the first half and the first 10 of the second and cruised to a 81-53 victory over Cornell on Saturday evening at Moody Coliseum. The Mustangs improved to 8-4, while the Big Red slipped to 5-7.
Matt Morgan scored a game-high 23 points to lead three double figure scorers, but the Mustangs shot 69 percent in the first half to build an insurmountable lead and wasn't challenged after the break. Morgan hit 10-of-12 free throws and added two rebounds and two assists in the loss.
Jake Kuhn (11 points) and
Josh Warren (10 points, seven rebounds, three assists) also reached double figures and
Steven Julian chipped in a team-best eight rebounds.
Jimmy Whitt Jr. scored all 22 of his points in the first half for the Mustangs, hitting 10-of-11 field goals. He added six rebounds, four assists and three steals in the victory. Jahmal McMurray added 14 and Jarrey Foster and Feron Hunt each netted 12.
SMU's Whitt hit 10-of-11 shots in the first 20 minutes and had a career-high 22 points by halftime. The Mustangs' offense hummed along throughout the half, shooting 69 percent from the floor (18-of-26) and closing on a 28-6 run over the final 11:16 to turn a one-point nailbiter into a runaway. The home team dominated nearly every category, particularly on the glass (18-6) and in points in the paint (24-10) and off turnovers (10-0). Cornell had the same number of turnovers as field goals (8) to lead to the Mustangs' 44-21 edge.
It didn't get much better after the break, though the visitors got back within 18 with four minutes to play after trailing by as many as 34. Morgan had 15 of his points in the second half, getting to the free throw line 10 times. Kuhn and Warren each had five after halftime and Julian grabbed seven boards as Cornell played SMU more evenly. The Big Red held SMU to 32 percent shooting after halftime, including 25 percent (5-of-20) inside the arc.
NOTES TO KNOW
• SMU outscored Cornell's bench 19-17, the first time all season the Big Red reserves have been outscored by their opponent.
• Morgan's streak of double figure scoring games stretched to 63 with his game-high 23 points.
• Besides Cornell's three double figure scorers, no other Big Red players had more than two points.
NEXT UP
• For the first time in 65 years, Cornell and Navy will compete on the hardwood when the Big Red welcomes to Midshipmen to Ithaca on Sunday, Dec. 30 at 1 p.m. at Newman Arena.
• The two teams last met at the 1954 NCAA Tournament in Philadelphia - the second of two matchups that season - with Navy winning 69-67.
• A 20-foot one-hander by Navy reserve Ken McCally beat the final buzzer by two seconds and spelled the end of Cornell's NCAA championship hopes. The playoff shot broke a 67-67 tie and followed a Navy freeze that lasted nearly two minutes. It nullified a great comeback by Cornell, which trailed by as much as 10 points. Co-captain Lee Morton scored a career-high 34 points despite playing the final 18 minutes with four fouls. He was a perfect 10-of-10 from the free-throw line.
