The Sports Xchange
Dec 3, 2017
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.
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.