UNIVERSITY PARK — In an exciting matchup, the SMU Mustangs took on the California Golden Bears in their first ACC contest, despite facing an unexpected challenge. The Mustangs played without their towering freshman center, Samet Yiğitoğlu, who was sidelined due to an injury. This absence meant that SMU’s usual size advantage over their opponents was diminished.
Yiğitoğlu had recently showcased his skills, scoring 20 points in a previous game against NC State, but the Mustangs managed to pull together and secured a 76-65 victory over Cal on Wednesday night. Currently, SMU holds a record of 16 wins and 5 losses, with 7 wins and 3 losses in the ACC.
The game featured impressive defensive strategies from the Mustangs, as they limited Cal to just 34% shooting and a mere 20% from beyond the arc. SMU’s defense has seen significant improvement over the past few games, even though they have generally been in the middle range defensively in the ACC, allowing an average of 72.2 points per game.
Head coach Andy Enfield commented on the team’s defensive progress, stating, “Our players, I think, have come to a pretty good understanding of how hard they have to play defensively to give us a chance to win these games.”
While the SMU offense was not at its best, shooting 45% from the field and 30% from 3-point range, they managed to build up a comfortable 10-point lead by halftime. After jumping to an early lead of 11-4, the Mustangs saw Cal make a comeback, taking a brief lead during a scoring drought for SMU. However, the Mustangs quickly responded with their own scoring run, highlighted by strong performances from players like Matt Cross and Chuck Harris, who each hit two 3-pointers.
Harris led the Mustangs with 20 points along with four rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Cross contributed 15 points and a double-double, while teammates BJ Edwards and Boopie Miller scored 15 and 13 points, respectively. Despite the absence of their center, SMU outperformed Cal on rebounds, winning 47-36 and scoring more in the paint, 40-30.
For Cal, Rytis Petraitis, a graduate from the Oakridge School in Arlington, led his team with 18 points and a double-double.
Looking ahead, the Mustangs will have a chance to extend their two-game win streak when they face another newcomer in the ACC, Stanford, at Moody Coliseum on Saturday evening.
