SMU CIT Run Ends With Loss To Santa Clara (w/ videos)

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

SMU CIT Run Ends With Loss To Santa Clara
SMU finishes with first 20-win season since 1999-2000

The Mustangs were 20-15 this season.

March 25, 2011

DALLAS (AP) - Kevin Foster scored 35 points, Troy Payne added 15 and Santa Clara beat SMU 72-55 Friday night to reach the championship of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. Robert Nyakundi led SMU with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

The Mustangs spent most of the game without leading scorer (18.3 ppg) and rebounder (9.6 rpg) Papa Dia. Dia suffered an ankle injury when he was fouled on a layup with 8:18 left in the first half. Justin Haynes went to the line and made both free throws. Dia had four points and five rebounds in 11 minutes.

Santa Clara (23-14) will face Iona or East Tennessee State, who play Saturday. SMU (20-15), finished with its first 20-win season since 1999-2000.

Foster sealed the victory with a four-point play with 2:14 left. With two seconds left on the shot clock, he drained a 3 from the left wing while getting fouled to give the Broncos a commanding 66-54 lead.

Santa Clara 72 at SMU 55
CIT - Semifinal Round
SMU Mustangs (20-15), Santa Clara Broncos (23-14)
March 25, 2011
Moody Coliseum
Dallas, Texas

TEAM NOTES
SMU finishes with 20 wins on the season, most since 1999-00 (21-9)
- SMU's ninth 20-win season

SMU went on 17-4 run at 16:36 of the second half to go up 51-46 (SMU was down 42-35)

SMU records this season
- Shot .482 FG% (788/1634), best since 1988-89 (48.3)
- Shot .394 3FG% (277/703), best since 1988-89 (41.3)
- Shot .742 FT% (409/551), best since 1970-71 (76.8)
- Averaged 13.9 assists, best since 1999-00 (13.9)

SMU tied the school record with 15 home wins this season (15-7)
SMU hit 9 3FG, extending a new school record for team 3FG made (277) in a season
- (Record was 215 in 2006-07)

INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Papa Dia
- Left the game due to injury with 8:18 left in the first half
o SMU was up 19-15 when Dia was fouled and left the game with an injury. SMU made both FT to go up 21-15 at 8:18 in the first half.
o SMU was up 9-8 in rebounds when Dia left the game
o Dia had been averaging 19.3 points, 14.7 rebounds and 3.3 blocks in CIT tournament
- Scored 4 pts
o Is 12th all-time at SMU in career points (1437)
o Is now 3rd for points in a season at SMU (639)
o Is t-11th in career FG made (549)
o Is t-4th for FG made in a season at SMU (243)
- Grabbed 5 rebounds
o Is now 4th all-time at SMU in career rebounds (911)
o Is 6th at SMU for rebounds in a season (335)
- Is now 2nd at SMU in career games played (124)

Justin Haynes
- Scored 9 points
- Added 1 rebound and 2 assists
- Had 1 block and 2 steals

Collin Mangrum
- Scored 13 points
o Had his eighth double-digit game of the season
- Made 3 3FG
- Added an assist

Robert Nyakundi
- Had his 3rd double-double of the season
- Scored 14 points
o Reached double-digits for the 26th time this season
- Was 4-5 on 3FG
o Shot .497 (97/195) on the season
o Made 97 3FG this season, extending a new school record for 3FGM in a single-season
o Is 4th all-time at SMU in 3FG made (183)
- Grabbed 10 rebounds
- Added an assist and a steal

Mike Walker
- Scored 6 points
- Made 2 3FG
o Is 8th all-time at SMU in 3FG made (131)
- Added 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals
- Is now 6th at SMU in career games played (120)


Santa Clara's Ben Dowdell, Troy Payne, Kevin Foster


Santa Clara head coach Kerry Keating


Mike Walker, Matt Doherty, Ryan Harp

[The PonyGrad]

Santa Clara really seemed down for a winning team. I guess they know they hammered their way to the win.