SMU's balanced attack sends Mustangs to ACC quarters after beating Syracuse 73-53
AP
Mar 13, 2025
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Chuck Harris and Matt Cross scored 12 points apiece and sixth-seeded SMU Mustangs beat No. 14 seed Syracuse Orange 73-53 on Wednesday night in the second round of the ACC Tournament.
SMU (23-9) advances to play third-seeded Clemson in a quarterfinal matchup on Thursday.
Boopie Miller and backup Keon Ambrose-Hylton each scored 10 points for the Mustangs who shot 53.2% (25 for 47).
J.J. Starling scored 16 points and Jyare Davis 14 for Syracuse (14-19).
The Mustangs' win was in stark contrast to their March 4 home win over Syracuse when they led for only 1:28 and needed a tip-in from Ambrose-Hylton with 2.9 seconds left to seal a 77-75 win.
On Wednesday, SMU started the second half with a 7-0-run and recorded its first double-digit lead to make it 38-28 when Harris hit a jumper with 16:20 left. The Mustangs maintained safe distance and extended the lead to 53-38 on B.J. Edwards' layup with 6:07 remaining.
The largest lead of the first half belonged to SMU when Kario Oquendo buried a 3-pointer with 1:52 left to give the Mustangs a 31-22 advantage. Syracuse quickly countered with 3's from Starling and Davis in a 40-second span. SMU led 31-28 at halftime.
The Orange got its largest first-half lead at 5-0 in the game's first minute-and-a-half.
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1st Half
SYR
Orange
28
SMU
Mustangs
31
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Eddie Lampkin Jr. vs. Matt Cross (Jaquan Carlos gains possession)
19:43
+3
J.J. Starling makes three point jump shot (Jaquan Carlos assists)
3-0
19:16
Jump ball. Matt Cross vs. Lucas Taylor (Matt Cross gains possession)
19:15
B.J. Edwards misses two point jump shot
19:13
J.J. Starling defensive rebound
19:01
Eddie Lampkin Jr. turnover (traveling)
18:44
Matt Cross misses three point jump shot
18:42
Eddie Lampkin Jr. defensive rebound
18:30
+2
Eddie Lampkin Jr. makes two point layup
5-0
18:04
+3
B.J. Edwards makes three point jump shot (Chuck Harris assists)
5-3
17:33
Eddie Lampkin Jr. turnover (lost ball) (B.J. Edwards steals)
17:22
Samet Yiğitoğlu misses two point jump shot
17:20
Eddie Lampkin Jr. defensive rebound
17:06
+2
J.J. Starling makes two point jump shot
7-3
16:48
Lucas Taylor personal foul
16:35
+2
Chuck Harris makes two point layup
7-5
16:12
Samet Yiğitoğlu blocks Jyare Davis's two point layup
16:10
Eddie Lampkin Jr. offensive rebound
16:02
Lucas Taylor misses three point jump shot
16:00
B.J. Edwards defensive rebound
15:47
TV timeout
15:34
+2
Kevin Miller makes two point layup
7-7
15:10
+2
J.J. Starling makes two point jump shot
9-7
14:54
Chuck Harris turnover (out of bounds)
14:34
J.J. Starling misses two point jump shot
14:32
Jaquan Carlos offensive rebound
14:18
+2
Jyare Davis makes two point dunk (J.J. Starling assists)
11-7
13:52
+2
Kevin Miller makes two point jump shot
11-9
13:37
Jyare Davis misses three point jump shot
13:35
Kevin Miller defensive rebound
13:22
Chuck Harris misses two point jump shot
13:20
Jaquan Carlos defensive rebound
13:08
Lucas Taylor misses two point jump shot
13:06
Chuck Harris defensive rebound
12:53
Lucas Taylor shooting foul (Chuck Harris draws the foul)
12:53
+1
Chuck Harris makes regular free throw 1 of 2
11-10
12:53
Chuck Harris misses regular free throw 2 of 2
12:53
Petar Majstorovic defensive rebound
12:25
Petar Majstorovic turnover (lost ball)
12:12
Kyle Cuffe Jr. personal foul
12:03
+2
B.J. Edwards makes two point layup
11-12
11:43
J.J. Starling misses three point jump shot
11:41
Naheem McLeod offensive rebound
11:29
Keon Ambrose-Hylton shooting foul (Kyle Cuffe Jr. draws the foul)
11:29
TV timeout
11:29
+1
Kyle Cuffe Jr. makes regular free throw 1 of 2
12-12
11:29
+1
Kyle Cuffe Jr. makes regular free throw 2 of 2
13-12
11:07
Chris Bell blocks Yohan Traore's two point dunk
11:05
Jaquan Carlos defensive rebound
10:53
+2
Naheem McLeod makes two point hook shot (Chris Bell assists)
15-12
10:42
Kario Oquendo misses two point layup
10:40
Naheem McLeod defensive rebound
10:23
Tibet Gorener blocks Kyle Cuffe Jr.'s two point layup
10:21
Keon Ambrose-Hylton defensive rebound
10:08
+2
Yohan Traore makes two point dunk (Keon Ambrose-Hylton assists)
15-14
10:08
Chris Bell shooting foul (Yohan Traore draws the foul)
10:08
Yohan Traore misses regular free throw 1 of 1
10:08
Naheem McLeod defensive rebound
9:47
J.J. Starling turnover (traveling)
9:34
Kevin Miller turnover (lost ball) (Kyle Cuffe Jr. steals)
9:11
Tibet Gorener blocks Petar Majstorovic's two point layup
9:09
Tibet Gorener defensive rebound
8:57
+2
Yohan Traore makes two point alley-oop dunk (Kevin Miller assists)
15-16
8:34
Kevin Miller shooting foul (Kyle Cuffe Jr. draws the foul)
8:34
+1
Kyle Cuffe Jr. makes regular free throw 1 of 2
16-16
8:34
Kyle Cuffe Jr. misses regular free throw 2 of 2
8:34
Matt Cross defensive rebound
8:21
Matt Cross misses two point layup
8:19
Matt Cross offensive rebound
8:15
+2
Matt Cross makes two point layup
16-18
8:02
+3
Chris Bell makes three point jump shot (Eddie Lampkin Jr. assists)
19-18
7:47
Kevin Miller misses two point jump shot
7:45
Kyle Cuffe Jr. defensive rebound
7:43
Tibet Gorener blocks Kyle Cuffe Jr.'s two point layup
7:41
Orange offensive rebound
7:40
TV timeout
7:25
J.J. Starling misses two point jump shot
7:23
Samet Yiğitoğlu defensive rebound
7:13
Matt Cross misses two point layup
7:12
Matt Cross offensive rebound
7:12
Chris Bell shooting foul (Matt Cross draws the foul)
7:12
Matt Cross misses regular free throw 1 of 2
7:12
+1
Matt Cross makes regular free throw 2 of 2
19-19
6:55
J.J. Starling misses three point jump shot
6:53
Chuck Harris defensive rebound
6:49
Kevin Miller misses three point jump shot
6:47
Eddie Lampkin Jr. defensive rebound
6:27
Eddie Lampkin Jr. misses two point layup
6:25
Mustangs defensive rebound
6:06
Samet Yiğitoğlu misses two point layup
6:04
J.J. Starling defensive rebound
6:04
Orange 30 second timeout
5:45
+2
Jyare Davis makes two point jump shot
21-19
5:26
+3
Chuck Harris makes three point jump shot (Kevin Miller assists)
21-22
4:52
Kyle Cuffe Jr. turnover (out of bounds)
4:34
Eddie Lampkin Jr. personal foul (Samet Yiğitoğlu draws the foul)
4:29
Jyare Davis shooting foul (Matt Cross draws the foul)
4:29
+1
Matt Cross makes regular free throw 1 of 1
21-23
4:29
Matt Cross turnover (lane violation)
4:07
Jyare Davis turnover (lost ball) (Samet Yiğitoğlu steals)
4:04
Eddie Lampkin Jr. personal foul (Kevin Miller draws the foul)
4:04
+1
Kevin Miller makes regular free throw 1 of 2
21-24
4:04
+1
Kevin Miller makes regular free throw 2 of 2
21-25
3:38
Chuck Harris shooting foul (J.J. Starling draws the foul)
3:38
TV timeout
3:38
+1
J.J. Starling makes regular free throw 1 of 2
22-25
3:38
J.J. Starling misses regular free throw 2 of 2
3:38
Kario Oquendo defensive rebound
3:12
Samet Yiğitoğlu misses two point hook shot
3:10
Naheem McLeod defensive rebound
2:45
Naheem McLeod turnover (traveling)
2:24
+3
Kario Oquendo makes three point jump shot (Keon Ambrose-Hylton assists)
