Manuel leads Mustangs past LaTech

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

Manuel Leads Mustangs In 73-65 Win Over Louisiana Tech
Manuel Scores Career-High 13 Points As Mustangs Improve To 8-5 On The Year, 5-0 At Moody Coliseum

Dec. 31, 2011

Head Coach Matt Doherty postgame: http://youtu.be/BbFSixUyvl8

Ryan Manuel & Aliaksei Patsevich postgame: http://youtu.be/NgVO571BVP8
DALLAS (AP) -- Ryan Manuel scored 13 points off the bench, and SMU led nearly wire to wire Saturday in a 73-65 victory over Louisiana Tech.

Manuel made just two field goals but was 9 of 10 from the free-throw line. Aliaksei Patsevich added 11 points, including two 3-pointers, for the Mustangs (8-5), who improved to 5-0 at home this season.

Brandon Gibson scored a career-high 22 points to lead the Bulldogs (8-7). Gibson, who came in averaging just 3.9 points per game, was 9 of 15 from the field.

Raheem Appleby, who had averaged 22 points per game in the Bulldogs' previous four contests, was held to 11.

Louisiana Tech scored the game's first basket, but an 8-0 SMU run gave the Mustangs the lead for good. The Bulldogs got within four, 64-60, on a Gibson 3-pointer with 3:15 to play, but five Manuel free throws after that helped SMU hang on.

The Mustangs are next in action Tuesday, Jan. 3 when they open the 2012 year with a road game at Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss. Tipoff is slated for 8:00 p.m. and the game will be televised on FSN.

TEAM NOTES
- SMU is 5-0 at home this season, 19-5 in the last 24 home games and 14-2 in the last 16 non-conference home games
- SMU made 9 3FG; now have 108 on the season (8.3 per game, 1st C-USA)
- All 10 SMU players had 4+ points
- Had a season-best 11 fouls
- SMU has won six of its past eight games

INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Ryan Manuel
- Scored a career-high 13 points
- Went 9-10 on FT (was 9-23 entering the game)
- Added 2 rebounds and a steal

Aliaksei Patsevich
- Scored a career-high 11 points
- Grabbed 2 rebounds
- Added 3 assists and a steal

Robert Nyakundi
- Scored 4 points
- Has 1101 career points (28th)
- Made 1 3FG
- Is now T-3rd all-time at SMU in 3FG made with 220
- Is shooting a C-USA best 48.7% (37-76) this season
- Had 8 rebounds
- Added an assist and a steal

Shawn Williams
- Scored 9 points
- Grabbed 5 rebounds
- Added a block and a steal

Jeremiah Samarrippas
- Had 6 assists
- Now has 23 assists to 5 turnovers in his past four games (4.6 assist/TO ratio)
- Scored 6 points
- Grabbed 2 rebounds