SMU/Louisiana-Monroe preview

[PonyPride]

LA-MONROE Warhawks (2-2)
at
SMU Mustangs (3-1, 0-0 C-USA)

Wed. Nov. 22 - 7:00 pm CT
Moody Coliseum (8,998)
Dallas, Texas
Radio: KAAM 770 AM

The SMU Mustangs (3-1) host the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (2-2) at Moody Coliseum on Wednesday, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. The Ponies knocked off Dayton 53-48 in the home opener on Saturday, Nov. 18.

AN SMU WIN MEANS: Mustangs improve to 4-1, best start since going 8-1 to begin 2000-01

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME: This is game two of a season-long five-game homestand. The Mustangs host Dayton (W, 53-48), Louisiana-Monroe, Paul Quinn College (11/27), Texas College (12/3), and Prairie View A&M (12/13) before a trip to Centenary on Dec. 16.

LAST GAME: DALLAS (AP) - Devon Pearson scored 12 points and hit the go-ahead free throws with 2:32 left to help SMU beat Dayton 53-48 Saturday night. SMU (3-1) hit just 11-of-36 shots from the floor (31 percent) and did score from the field in the final 6:24. Brian Roberts scored 21 points for Dayton (2-1). Roberts hit a 3-pointer to give Dayton a 45-44 lead with 2:53 left. Pearson gave the Mustangs the lead for good with two free throws and they connected on 9-of-10 foul shots over the final 2:32. Derrick Roberts, who was 7-of-8 from the foul line, had 12 points for SMU. Dayton shot 29 percent (15-of-52) from the floor. SMU used an 8-1 run to end the first half to take a 24-22 lead. Pearson capped the surge with consecutive 3-pointers.

LAST SEASON AGAINST LA-MONROE: MONROE, La. (AP) - James Perkins scored 17 points and pulled down six rebounds as Louisiana-Monroe defeated SMU 71-64 Sunday. Tony Hooper added 15 points for the Indians and was 6-of-7 from the free-throw line. Darien Bynum added 13 points and grabbed six rebounds and Daryl Mason finished with 10 points. Derrick Roberts led SMU with 19 points and Dez Willingham added 14. Devon Pearson grabbed 16 rebounds. Louisiana-Monroe led 27-25 at the half, but pulled ahead by 11 points in the second half after Perkins scored nine points in a two-minute span, all from behind the arc. Perkins dropped in three-straight 3-pointers, helping establish the double-figure lead for the Indians. SMU cut the lead to as little as three points, 56-53, with 4:10 left in the game. The Mustangs resorted to fouling the Indians, sending the home team to the charity stripe 16 times in the final four minutes. Louisiana-Monroe converted 12 of the 16 attempts to preserve the win.

ON THE AIR: The Mustangs are on KAAM 770 AM in Dallas/Fort Worth. Rich Phillips, Allen Stone and Jay Poerner bring you all the SMU basketball action and news from around Conference USA.

HONORS:
Colonial Classic All-Tournament (SMU went 2-1)
Jon Killen (10.7 points, 5.4 assists, 3.3 steals)
Ike Ofoegbu (14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds)

OUR FTM IS MORE THAN YOUR FTA: Head coach Matt Doherty sets a goal for the Mustangs to make more free throws than the opponent attempts. Here is a look at the season to date.

SMU Opp Goal Result

11/12 18-25 7-9 vs. Illinois State Yes W, 57-55

11/13 10-17 3-4 vs. McNeese State Yes W, 70-54

11/14 7-9 13-18 at Florida State No L, 59-52

11/18 27-40 12-24 Dayton Yes W, 53-48

Season 62-91 35-55 Yes/No 3-0/0-1

MILESTONES:

- SMU had its first 2-0 start against Division I opponents since a 4-0 start to the 2000-01 season. The 2-0 starts in 2004-05 and 2001-02 included non-Division I victories. (Savannah State in 2001-02 and UT-Tyler in 2004-05)

CAREER HIGHS ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN: A list of career highs by returning players.

PTS (15; 13) indicates points was set twice at 15 most recently and previously during the season at 13.

STL (T-4) indicates the four steals tied a career-best

Epps - none

Fall - FGM (5 vs. Illinois St.); FGA (9, vs. Illinois St.); FG Pct. (.556 5-9 vs. Illinois St.); BLK (T6 vs. McNeese St.); STL (2 vs. McNeese St.)

Killen - MIN (39 Dayton; 38 vs. Illinois St.); FGM (5 at Florida St.); FGA (11 at Florida St.); 3FGM (3 vs. McNeese St.); 3FGA (4 vs. McNeese St.); 3FG PCT (.750 3-4 vs. McNeese St.); FTM (4 at Florida St.); FTA (T-5 Dayton; 5 at Florida St.); DEF REB (T-3 Dayton); REB (T-4 Dayton); AST (9 vs. McNeese St.); STL (T-4 vs. McNeese St.; T-4 vs. Illinois St.); PTS (15 at Florida St.; 13 vs. McNeese St.)

Ofoegbu - MIN (T-30 at Florida St.); FGM (T-4, vs. McNeese St.; T-4 vs. Illinois St.), FGA (9 vs. McNeese St.; T-8 vs. Illinois St.); 3FGM (2 vs. McNeese St.; 1 vs. Illinois St.); 3FGA (3 vs. McNeese St.; 2 vs. Illinois St.); 3FG PCT (.667 2-3 vs. McNeese St.); FTM (12 vs. Illinois St.); FTA (17 vs. Illinois St.); DEF REB (T6 vs. McNeese St.); REB (8 vs. McNeese St.); PTS (21 vs. Illinois St.)

Pearson - FT PcT (T-1.000 4-4 Dayton)

Rackauskas - MIN (T-34 Dayton; 34 at Florida St); FG PCT (.750 6-8 at Florida St.); FTM (T-6Dayton); FTA (9 Dayton) 3FGM (T1 at Florida St); 3FGA (T-1 at Florida St.; T-1 vs. McNeese St.; T-1 vs. Illinois St.); DEF REB (8 vs. McNeese St.); REB (11 vs. McNeese St.)

Roberts - FTA (T-8 Dayton); 3FGM (T-3 vs. McNeese St.); 3FG PCT (T-1.000 3-3 vs. McNeese St.)

Willingham - none

SMU RECORD UPDATES: Additions or changes to the SMU record book during the 2006-07 season.

SMU Single-Game - Team

3FGM - T-5th - 12 vs. McNeese State 11/13

SMU Single-Game - Individual

FTA - T-7th - 17 by Ike Ofoegbu vs. Illinois State 11/12

SMU RECORD FOR NATIONAL TV EXPOSURE: The SMU Men's Basketball team has a school record five nationally televised games during the 2006-07 regular season. The Mustangs play four games on CSTV and one game, at Memphis, on ESPN. The Mustangs' games on CSTV include TCU, both match-ups with Houston and the home game against Memphis. The Mustangs play the first three televised games on the road before playing the final two at home in Moody Coliseum.

Thursday, Dec. 21, at TCU - 7 p.m. (CSTV)

Saturday, Jan. 13, at Houston - 5 p.m. (CSTV)

Saturday, Feb. 3, at Memphis - 11 a.m. (ESPN)

Wednesday, Feb. 7, vs. Houston - 7 p.m. (CSTV)

Saturday, March 3, vs. Memphis - 8:30 p.m. (CSTV)

COACHING EXPERIENCE: Head Coach Matt Doherty has assembled a coaching staff of Associate Head Coach Mike Garland, Assistant Coach Lance Irvin, Assistant Coach Steve Lutz, and Director of Operations Malcolm Farmer. The coaching staff entered the season with totals of 49 years of collegiate coaching with 16 conference crowns and 12 conference tournament championships. They have earned 26 postseason appearances, including 18 bids to the NCAA Tournament with 14 trips to the Sweet 16, nine Elite Eights, six Final Fours and two National Championships. The coaching staff has also guided 32 players to the NBA.

BUZZER BEATER: Devon Pearson gave the Mustangs an opening-night victory against Illinois State as he tipped in a miss from Derrick Roberts as time expired for the 57-55 triumph. Pearson tipped it in from the right side of the basket after Roberts’ 12-foot jumper from the left baseline skipped across the rim.

DOUBLE-DOUBLES: Devon Pearson entered the season with 11 career double-doubles, which is the most by an active player in C-USA. Pearson had nine in 2005-06.

[smu diamond m]

DOUBLE-DOUBLES: Devon Pearson entered the season with 11 career double-doubles, which is the most by an active player in C-USA. Pearson had nine in 2005-06.

Wow. I didn't know that. Pretty impressive, eh?

[mrydel]

I find the line is SMU -16. Pretty tough for a team that can not score out of the 50's.

[RGV Pony]

how long has Jay Poerner been with the broadcast?

[bagice]

Poehner has filled in here and there for at least 3 years, he has never been on the broadcast regularly, but shows up from time to time at home games or fills in for a road game.

He does a pretty good job.

[ClassOf81]

Didn't Poerner have one season as the analyst for road games?
Agreed, he does a good job. No cliche-filled blah blah blah, he really explains the game well to those of us (i.e. everyone on this board, myself included) who don't understand the game nearly as well as we'd like others to think!

[angryfan04]

They have earned 26 postseason appearances, including 18 bids to the NCAA Tournament with 14 trips to the Sweet 16, nine Elite Eights, six Final Fours and two National Championships.

Garland coached one National Championship team. Who was the other?