Frazier’s 27 not enough in Tulane setback at SMU

Frazier’s 27 Points Not Enough in Tulane Men’s Basketball’s Setback at SMU

DALLAS – Melvin Frazier scored a game-high 27 points and knocked down a career-high six 3-pointers, but the Tulane men’s basketball team suffered a 73-62 setback in American Athletic Conference action Saturday evening at Moody Coliseum.

Frazier shot 9-for-12 from the field, 6-for-8 beyond the arc and made three free throws in his eighth 20-point performance of the season to complement seven rebounds, four assists and a pair of blocks. Ray Ona Embo scored nine points and handed out a game-high seven assists, as Tulane (12-7, 3-4 AAC) made 12 3-pointers – its seventh game with at least 10 conversions from outside.

Shake Milton led four SMU (14-6, 4-3 AAC) players in double-figures, scoring 18 of his team-high 20 points in the second half, while Jimmy Whitt contributed 18 points and five steals. Jahmal McMurray added 13 points and Ben Emelogu put up 11 points and nine rebounds.

The Green Wave made three of their first four shots from the floor, including back-to-back 3’s by Ona Embo on the first two possessions of the game, to build an early 8-4 lead just over two minutes into the action. The Wave kept finding open looks and crashed the defensive boards, while Frazier and Cameron Reynolds also connected on treys to push the advantage to 16-7, forcing the Mustangs to call timeout with 12:51 to go in the half.

SMU set up a three-quarter court press on the defensive side of the ball, forcing four straight Tulane turnovers and scoring eight consecutive points off those mistakes to pull within one with 9:43 left. The Mustangs made four of five shots between the 7:56 and 4:46 marks as part of a 6-0 scoring run to take their first lead of the game, 21-20, on a tip-in by Akoy Agau.

The Wave responded with six straight points of their own down to the 1:54 mark to pull back in front, 27-25, on Frazier’s second 3-pointer of the period, but SMU scored the last two baskets to take a 30-27 lead into halftime.

Tulane shot 9-for-22 (.409) from the field, 6-for-13 (.462) beyond the arc and 3-for-4 (.750) at the free throw line in the first half, while the Mustangs went 12-for-30 (.400) on the floor, 2-for-11 (.182) from outside, 4-for-6 (.667) at the foul stripe and owned an 18-6 scoring advantage in the paint.

The Green Wave burst out of the gate after the intermission using a 7-0 scoring run behind a trey and dunk by Frazier, followed by a pair of Reynolds free throws to reclaim the lead, 34-30, just 67 seconds into the second half.

Trailing 37-32, SMU turned a pair of Tulane turnovers into seven straight points of its own to take back the lead, 39-37, as the Wave called for a timeout with 15:40 left to play. A Reynolds fast break layup tied the game at 39, but the Mustangs raced out on a 9-0 scoring run, capped by a Shake Milton 3-pointer with 12:36 remaining.

The Green Wave punched back one last time however, outscoring SMU, 16-5, down to the 5:42 mark when Frazier buried another 3-pointer to take back the lead, 55-54.

That would be Tulane’s final lead of the night however, as the Mustangs took advantage of missed shots by the Green Wave and converted free throws to pull away late and push the lead to double digits and a 12-point margin for the final.

The Wave shot 20-for-48 (.417) overall, 12-for-29 (.414) from 3-point range and 10-for-14 (.714) at the foul line, while SMU finished the night 26-for-56 (.464) from the field, 4-for-15 (.267) from outside and 17-for-20 (.850) at the charity stripe.

The Mustangs also outscored the Wave, 36-16, in the paint and 14-9 off turnovers, while owning a 33-27 edge on the glass.

Tulane will take a five day break before returning home to host USF on Thursday, January 25. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m., at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU.