The SMU Mustangs delivered one of their biggest wins of the season Tuesday night.
SMU knocked off the Louisville Cardinals 95-85 at Moody Coliseum, snapping Louisville’s five-game winning streak and strengthening the Mustangs’ postseason résumé.
Pierre, Miller Take Over Late
Jaron Pierre Jr. poured in 25 points, while Boopie Miller added 23 points and nine assists in a back-and-forth contest that featured 17 lead changes and 16 ties.
The game swung for good when Miller hit a short floater in the lane with 6:19 remaining to break a 76-76 tie. That bucket sparked a decisive stretch in which SMU made six straight field goals. Corey Washington drilled two critical three-pointers during that run and finished with 18 points.
Miller then connected with Pierre for an alley-oop dunk with 1:49 left, extending the lead to 91-83 and igniting the home crowd.
Tournament Implications
The victory marked SMU’s second home win over a ranked ACC opponent this season. The Mustangs previously defeated then-No. 12 North Carolina on Jan. 3, giving second-year head coach Andy Enfield his first Top 25 win at the program.
At 18-8 overall and 7-6 in ACC play, SMU remains firmly in the mix for its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017.
Louisville’s Freshman Star Shines
Louisville (19-6, 8-5 ACC) received another explosive performance from standout freshman Mikel Brown Jr., who scored 29 points for the second consecutive game. Brown recently tied a Louisville single-game record and set an ACC freshman mark with 45 points against NC State on Feb. 9.
J’Vonne Hadley contributed 14 points and nine rebounds, while Ryan Conwell added 12.
Louisville briefly reclaimed momentum when Brown scored on a driving reverse layup to put the Cardinals ahead 74-73 with eight minutes remaining. But SMU’s closing execution proved decisive.
The Mustangs carried a 52-49 lead into halftime and maintained composure down the stretch in one of the ACC’s most high-scoring matchups of the season.