CORAL GABLES, Fla. — In a dominant display on Saturday, Boopie Miller excelled with 18 points and 10 assists, achieving his first double-double of the season as SMU cruised to a commanding 117-74 victory over Miami.
This impressive point total set a new program record for road games and ranks as the sixth highest in the history of the SMU basketball program. Notably, the last time the Mustangs scored this many points was on November 28, 1987, when they achieved 127 points against James Madison.
In addition to Miller’s performance, several other players contributed significantly to the win: Matt Cross scored 17 points, Samet Yigitoglu added 15, and Chuck Harris contributed 14. Kario Oquendo, coming off the bench, scored 13 points, while B.J. Edwards and reserve Keon Ambrose-Hylton chipped in with 10 points each.
The Mustangs displayed remarkable shooting efficiency, finishing the game with a shooting percentage of 69.2%, making 45 of their 65 attempts. From beyond the arc, they shot 56% (14 out of 25).
Matthew Cleveland led Miami’s efforts with a career-best 31 points, but his contribution was overshadowed by the Mustangs’ offensive firepower.
SMU established an early lead, jumping ahead 20-7 within the first six minutes and never looking back. By the ten-minute mark, they were up 30-14, and with just over five minutes left in the first half, they had expanded their lead to 46-18. At halftime, the scoreboard showed a staggering 60-26 in favor of SMU.
During the first half, SMU shot an incredible 76.5%, converting 26 of 34 field goal attempts. Harris and Yigitoglu were instrumental, with Harris going 5-for-7 from the field for 12 points and Yigitoglu perfect at 5-for-5 for 10 points.
The recent trend for SMU has been noteworthy, as they built a significant first-half lead in their previous game against Georgia Tech on January 10, where they led 50-19 at halftime.
Against the Hurricanes, the Mustangs reached a commanding lead of 40 points at 87-47, courtesy of a three-pointer from Edwards with 9:46 left in the game.
Looking ahead, SMU will face off against Louisville on Tuesday, while Miami, which has now suffered seven consecutive losses, will head to the West Coast to play Stanford on Wednesday.
