Down 7-5 with 14:19 remaining in the first half, SMU forward Semi Ojeleye found a wide open Sterling Brown in the right corner. Brown hit the three to give the Mustangs the lead. On the next possession, Shake Milton found Ojeleye alone in the same spot, leading to another bucket from deep. Why not try it a third time? Milton’s three on the ensuing trip down the floor made it a 14-7 game with SMU doubling East Carolina’s point total in just over a minute.
The Pirates would not get any closer to the lead from that point on.