Who Let The 'Stangs Out? - cusa-fans.com

[mr. pony]

Who Let The ‘Stangs Out?
SMU Erupts For 94 Points For First C-USA Win Over Houston
By Rick Atkinson for cusa-fans.com
http://cusa-fans.com/

DALLAS – As the game’s final seconds wound down Saturday night, a glance up at the scoreboard told the story: all five SMU players on the court had double-digit point totals. For a team whose modus operandi all season has been to keep a governor on scoring, this was nutty - and SMU fans loved it.

The Houston Cougars got blown up at their own game, 94-83, in the most entertaining game at Moody Coliseum in some time.

The Mustangs, led by Papa “Make My” Dia, scored 61 second-half points to stun the Cougars and claim sole possession of sixth place in Conference USA.

“Needless to say it was a huge game for us,” said SMU coach Matt Doherty, whose Mustangs (14-14, 7-7) now look to finish strong and make waves at the league tournament.

SMU’s 94 points tied a season-high from its win over Texas State in December.

Dia simply dominated the Coogs this night with a bruising 31-point, 12-rebound performance that’s sure to elevate the 6-9 junior’s growing reputation in C-USA.

“He was terrific tonight,” said Houston coach Tom Penders. “The first time we played him we did a great job of shutting him down. Tonight, I thought that he had his way with both [Maurice] McNeil and [Kendric] Washington. I didn’t think that those two kids came ready to play tonight.”

“It was an exciting game,” Penders said. “I loved the tempo of the game. But we just couldn’t stop them in the second half. We forced them to play our tempo, but they played it really well today.”

After the Mustangs’ 66-60 loss to Houston two weeks ago, Doherty told Dia he looked intimated by Washington. “When [Doherty] told me that,” Dia said, “it kind of hurt a little bit. So today when I saw [Washington] I was like, ‘I’m going at him,’ because I was not intimidated by him [at Houston.] I just didn’t have a good day.”


Papa Dia works against Houston's Kendric Washington

This was the Mustangs’ first win over Houston since joining C-USA five seasons ago. Combined with its first-ever league win over Memphis last month, SMU’s trajectory is now decidedly upward.

“We’re just not a one-hit wonder or a fluke,” Doherty said. “We’ve gotten better.”

Other leading scorers for SMU included Derek Willams (18), Robert Nyakundi (18), Rodney Clinkscales (12) and Mouhammad Faye (11). Faye also collected 10 rebounds.

Houston scoring sensation Aubrey Coleman pumped in 30 points to keep a grip on the title of Division I basketball’s top-scorer. (He's averaging 25.9 points per game.) The 6-4, 200-pound guard also led Houston (14-14, 6-8) with nine rebounds.

Penders called Coleman the best basketball player he’s ever coached. “He’s a fabulous kid. He’s a fabulous talent. And he’s the most under-publicized player in college basketball – and that’s absurd to me. … He’s like this every night and he’s playing on an incredibly bad injury to his thigh. He’s got a severe hematoma that you can’t even touch.”

Said Williams of Coleman, “He’s going to get his. But the goal was to just make every look he takes a difficult one. And I think Justin [Haynes] and [Faye] did a good job of that tonight.”

Adam Brown and Kirk Van Slyke added 17 and 14 points, respectively, for Houston.

Second-Half Rally

Doherty said the Mustangs became “a little frustrated” at the end of the first half as Houston built a six-point lead, 39-33. The Mustangs quickly charged back ahead with a 12-5 run to open the second period.

Nyakundi’s three put SMU up, 45-44, with 16:35 left and after a Dia dunk gave SMU a 52-51 lead two minutes later, the Mustangs never trailed.

SMU shot 67-percent from the field in the second half, including 9-of-14 from three-point range. “We did it with balanced scoring,” Doherty said. “We took care of the ball in the second half.”

“I did not call many set plays in the second half. I just let our guys play and run what we call our ‘spread offense.’”

The Mustangs also made 20-of-23 second-half free throw attempts. Overall, SMU got the line 17 more times than the Cougars, who were a perfect 12-of-12 from the line.

SMU out-rebounded Houston, 42-29, with 14 on the offensive end. The Mustangs also bested the Cougars in the paint, 30-16.

“There’s not much I can complain about today,” Doherty said, before allowing that turnovers need attention before Wednesday’s test at Tulsa. SMU lost the ball 18 times against Houston, with 12 in the first half.


SMU's Matt Doherty

Penders/Doherty Influence

After the game, Penders congratulated Doherty once more as Doherty sat down for his post-game radio interview. “I’ve know Coach Penders since 1976,” Doherty said. “He’s always been a guy that’s encouraged younger coaches because he’s been through it. … I think he knows what guys go through and appreciates people that are trying to work hard and do it the right way. And he sees us getting better. It means a lot. He didn’t have to do that. I think that showed a lot of class.”

The Mustangs appeared loose and confident down the stretch against Houston. When the score was tied with five minutes left, SMU quickly pushed the lead back to seven with clutch shots from Faye and Williams.

“We’re all familiar with how each other play,” Williams said. “We’re all comfortable and we know what to expect from every individual on this team. We’re just having fun out there.”

Doherty appeared to cultivate the attitude - simply grinning when Faye missed a dunk, hugging Williams during a timeout and later joking with an official. “That’s conscious,” Doherty said. “I think it’s important for me as the leader to show that I’m confident and that I’m relaxed. … That’s something that I’ve learned from [former North Carolina] Coach [Dean] Smith. Your body language is fifty-percent of communication. It’s not what you say, but how you say it. If I look calm and confident and relaxed, they’ll play calm, confident and relaxed.”

Doherty also obviously cares a great deal about portraying a positive image for SMU as the program improves. After Saturday’s game, players were sent back to the dressing room to put on SMU shirts before meeting with the media. They were also reminded to pull down the “hoodies” and pull up the pants.

No detail appears too small. Doherty was even seen after post-game interviews picking up stray pieces of litter which had missed a hallway garbage can.

Indeed, the little things finally appear to be adding up big for Doherty and the Mustangs.

Notes:
SMU AD Steve Orsini’s plans for football and men’s basketball this year are on track. Last September, Orsini said the football team needed to win at least six games and go to a bowl. Men’s basketball, he said, needed to have at least a .500 season. June Jones’ football team won eight, including a Hawaii Bowl victory, and Doherty’s Mustangs are poised to go .500. (See Orsini’s comments below.)
http://cusa-fans.com/articles/cusa-foot ... 90209.html

Next Two For SMU:
*Wednesday, March 3, @ Tulsa, 7 p.m.
*Saturday, March 6, Marshall, 7 p.m.

Quotable Doherty
*On Papa Dia: “Pop is one of the smartest players I’ve coached. He’s a smart guy. He knows what’s going on. If you ask Pop in practice, ‘Pop, what happened there?’ or ‘What should have happened there?’ he’d be the guy that would come up with the answer first.”
*On Houston’s Aubrey Coleman: “Coleman is a special talent. I told Aubrey after the game, ‘I’ve told people two of the best athletes I’ve ever seen on the basketball floor are you and Len Bias.” (Bias, out of Maryland, was the Boston Celtics’ No. 1 draft choice in 1986. He died of a drug overdose shortly after the draft.)


Mustang mascot gets some love from Delta Gamma

[ponyscott]

Great story! Thanks for sharing and good points from Doh as he is maturing as a coach in front of our eyes. This week will be a true test of this team with two key encounters, one on the road and one home before the CUSA Tourney.

[RGV Pony]

“That’s conscious,” Doherty said. “I think it’s important for me as the leader to show that I’m confident and that I’m relaxed. … That’s something that I’ve learned from [former North Carolina] Coach [Dean] Smith. Your body language is fifty-percent of communication. It’s not what you say, but how you say it. If I look calm and confident and relaxed, they’ll play calm, confident and relaxed.”

so has Dean Smith been on the Hilltop in the last, I dont know, six weeks or so?