For the first time in weeks, SMU looked like an NCAA Tournament team.
SMU head coach Andy Enfield talks to an official during an NCAA college basketball game against Miami in Dallas, Wednesday, March 4, 2026.in Charlotte than they did before their four-game losing streak to end the regular season.
Sitting firmly on the bubble, SMU had yet to prove to the committee it could win without Edwards.No. 11 seed SMU defeated No. 14 Syracuse 86-69 in the first round of the ACC tournament at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., behind a complete team effort. Whileled SMU with 25 points, per usual, behind 5-of-9 shooting from 3-point range, he had assists from his big men in the first half and backcourt in the second half.Get the latest D-FW sports news, analysis and opinion delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, Kevin Sherrington's A La Carte.Freshman center Jaden Toombs and 7-2 sophomore Samet Yigitoglu each posted a double-double in the win, doing most of their damage before halftime. Then, it was Jaron Pierre Jr. and Corey Washington, who added 21 and 12 apiece, including 27 combined after halftime, to help SMU seal the win.All five SMU starters finished in double figures, but the Mustangs did not receive any scoring contributions from their bench. “The guys played very well together tonight,” SMU coach Andy Enfield said. “It’s a win that we surely needed. We expect to play well tomorrow as well. When we can score the ball, we’re pretty good.” With the win, the Mustangs advance to the second round of the ACC tournament where they will face No. 6 Louisville at 1:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday. The Mustangs split with the Cardinals in the regular season, falling 88-74 on the road in January before SMU was projected as one of the “Last Four In” in both ESPN’s and CBS’ bracketologies before Tuesday’s game, meaning the Mustangs would head to Dayton to play in the First Four. ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi toldon Monday he believed the Mustangs would lock up their first NCAA Tournament berth in nine years with a win over Syracuse. He said a win over Louisville on Wednesday would allow the Mustangs to avoid a trip to Dayton as well.However, the committee won’t make the final call until Sunday. The men’s NCAA Tournament bracket will be announced at 5 p.m. CT Sunday on CBS. “We know what’s at stake,” Enfield said. “I think, tonight, to me, looked like an NCAA tournament team. We have a lot of good wins on our resume. Unfortunately, we had an injury at the wrong time, but he’s coming back. We feel like we’ll be at full strength by the end of the week.” Enfield added that Edwards will be available by the end of the week but is questionable for Wednesday’s game.Nevertheless, the Mustangs finally proved to the committee that they could win without him. The two teams battled throughout the first half, with SMU holding a narrow 39-38 halftime lead. Toombs already had a double-double by halftime with 14 points and 10 rebounds, but Syracuse’s Nate Kingz led all scorers with 17 first-half points en route to 25 total in the game. Shortly after halftime, Miller led SMU on a 10-2 run to put the Mustangs up 51-42 with under 15 minutes to play. He made back-to-back 3-pointers early in the second half. Miller’s backcourt partner, Pierre, started 0-of-8 from 3-point range before connecting on three of his next four. The Mustangs’ lead grew to as much as 21 points, as Pierre came alive with 17 second-half points.As SMU started to heat up offensively in the second half, Syracuse went quiet. The Orange shot just 3-of-15 from 3-point range after halftime. SMU also dominated the boards, choosing to run a larger lineup from the start and out-rebounding Syracuse 44-31, including 19-10 on the offensive glass. “Coming into the game, coach told me I was in the starting lineup, so I knew I’ve got to be impactful on the offensive rebounds to stay in the game,” Toombs said. “Me and Samet were on the glass today, and we feel like we did a good job.”SMU guard BJ Edwards doubtful for ACC tournament opener against SyracuseLia Assimakopoulos covers the Dallas Stars, SMU and college sports for The Dallas Morning News. She joined The News in June 2022 as a high school sports reporter and previously contributed to Sports Illustrated, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and NBC Sports. A native of Bethesda, Md., Lia graduated from Northwestern University in 2022.Live radar: Severe weather threat, tornado watch issued Tuesday for North Texas
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