HOUSTON — It was a game SMU needed to have in the American, a notch on the resume that would have been its crown jewel to this point in the season. In a contest that featured a nightmarish offensive first half and a stymied comeback effort in the second, the Mustangs ultimately fell to the Cougars 71-62.
In a game that felt bigger due to the opportunity at hand, a chance to beat a top 30 team in the country, according to KenPom, the Mustangs could not have envisioned a more difficult offensive start.