SMU Beats Syracuse 86-69 in ACC Tournament First Round

In Charlotte, North Carolina, Boopie Miller tallied 25 points to propel No. 11 seed Southern Methodist University to an 86-69 victory over No. 14 seed Syracuse in the opening round of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament on Tuesday. The win snapped a four-game skid for the Mustangs and advanced them to face No. 6 seed Louisville in the second round on Wednesday.

SMU, finishing the regular season with a 20-12 record and 8-10 in conference play, relied on a balanced attack from its starting lineup. All five starters reached double figures in scoring, with Jaron Pierre Jr. adding 21 points on five 3-pointers, including three consecutive triples during a pivotal 13-0 run midway through the second half. That spurt helped SMU build a 69-48 lead with 8:41 remaining. Jaden Toombs contributed 16 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for his second double-double of the season, while Samet Yigitoglu posted 12 points and 11 rebounds. Corey Washington rounded out the starters with 12 points. The Mustangs' bench saw limited action, attempting just two shots and scoring nothing, as the team played without third-leading scorer B.J. Edwards due to an ankle injury.