SMU Mustangs vs Syracuse Orange
SMU's balanced attack sends Mustangs to ACC quarters after beating Syracuse 73-53
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- — Chuck Harris and Matt Cross scored 12 points apiece and sixth-seeded SMU beat No. 14 seed Syracuse 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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Game Information
Charlotte, NC
Referee:Ron Groover
Referee:Bert Smith
Referee:Justin Porterfield
2025-26 Standings
| Atlantic Coast Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson | 5-0 | - | 15-3 |
| Duke | 4-0 | 0.5 | 15-1 |
| Miami | 4-0 | 0.5 | 15-2 |
| Virginia | 4-1 | 1 | 15-2 |
| NC State | 3-1 | 1.5 | 12-5 |
| Syracuse | 3-1 | 1.5 | 12-5 |
| North Carolina | 2-1 | 2 | 14-2 |
| Stanford | 2-2 | 2.5 | 13-4 |
| Virginia Tech | 2-2 | 2.5 | 13-4 |
| Louisville | 2-3 | 3 | 12-5 |
| SMU | 1-2 | 3 | 12-4 |
| California | 1-3 | 3.5 | 13-4 |
| Georgia Tech | 1-3 | 3.5 | 10-7 |
| Notre Dame | 1-3 | 3.5 | 10-7 |
| Wake Forest | 1-3 | 3.5 | 10-7 |
| Pittsburgh | 0-3 | 4 | 7-9 |
| Boston College | 0-4 | 4.5 | 7-10 |
| Florida State | 0-4 | 4.5 | 7-10 |
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