Tulane @ Southern Methodist preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 26, 2019 ) Tulane 75, Southern Methodist 85

SMU tries to bounce back from its most lopsided loss of the season and remain in the American Athletic Conference's upper echelon when it hosts struggling Tulane on Saturday. The Mustangs were blasted 65-43 at Cincinnati on Tuesday, snapping a three-game winning streak and leaving them fifth in the AAC - two games behind first-place Houston.

"What you should do is turn the page,'' SMU coach Tim Jankovich told reporters. "... I don’t want to get too caught up in the score, we lost. We need to try to win and fix some things that weren’t good at all. I think we make sure we fix some things but not dwelling on it too much." The Mustangs lead the conference at 74.8 points per game and field goal percentage (45.7) despite posting season lows in points and shooting (25.9 percent). The Green Wave have lost four straight by a combined 65 points after a 66-52 setback to South Florida on Wednesday. "I thought the guys really fought today," Tulane coach Ron Hunter told the media. "I know the kids care. My job is to make sure that we continue to fight, and I know that they are doing that."

TIME: 8 p.m. ET. TV: ESPNU

ABOUT TULANE (10-10, 2-6 AAC): Graduate transfer Christion Thompson (13 points per game) scored 18 on Wednesday and is averaging 15.3 over his last four games while recording three steals in each of the last two contests. Teshaun Hightower produces a team-high 15.7 points but hasn't reached that number in four games while shooting 12-for-34 from the field during that span. Nic Thomas (8.9 points) has scored 30 points and shot 8-for-16 from 3-point range over his last two contests.

ABOUT SMU (15-5, 5-3): Kendric Davis, who paces the team with 15.2 points and a conference-high 6.8 assists per game, was held scoreless Tuesday (0-for-6 shooting) for the first time this season and contributed only one helper but provided seven rebounds. "He just had one of those nights and sometimes great players have horrible nights,'' Jankovich told reporters. Tyson Jolly (14.6 points) scored 16 versus Cincinnati and is averaging 17 over his last four games while shooting 24-for-49 from the field.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Green Wave are first in the AAC in turnover margin at plus-4.8 while the Mustangs are last at minus-1.0.

2. Tulane was outrebounded by USF 40-19 and has a conference-worst minus-6.95 rebounding margin - ninth-worst nationally entering Thursday.

3. SMU has won seven of the last eight meetings and nine straight at home.

PREDICTION: SMU 77, Tulane 65