No. 14 SMU Clinches Share Of AAC Title
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DALLAS (AP) — Semi Ojeleye scored 26 points with a perfect night from the field and No. 14 SMU clinched at least a share of the American Athletic Conference title with a 93-70 victory over Tulsa on Thursday night.
Ojeleye made all nine of his field goal attempts, including a couple of highlight dunks and three 3-pointers. Jarrey Foster added 18 points on 9-of-11 shooting with a couple of slams of his own.
All five starters scored in double figures for the Mustangs (26-4, 16-1), who can clinch the league title outright with a win when they finish the regular season at home Saturday against Memphis.
SMU has a one-game lead in the AAC standings over No. 18 Cincinnati (26-4, 15-2), which won its home finale 65-47 over Houston earlier Thursday night.
Sterling Brown had 19 points while Shake Milton had 15 points and 10 assists for SMU. Ben Moore added 12 points.
Corey Henderson had 17 points for Tulsa (14-15, 8-9) and Junior Etou had 13.
Ojeleye converted a couple of alley-oop passes with one dunk finishing a most unlikely play. Milton had been knocked to the ground after contact, but kept his dribble and even went under his leg while on his behind before passing to Brown, who then took a couple of steps before a pass to Ojeleye for the slam and a 69-38 lead.
After building a 19-point halftime lead, the Mustangs had a 14-2 run early in the second half that included Milton's consecutive alley-oop passes — to Ojeleye and Foster — before the guard hit a 3-pointer from the left corner.
BIG PICTURE
Tulsa: The Golden Hurricane went into this season after graduating nine seniors and with only three players who had played in a game for them. It's been an up-and-down third season in Tulsa for coach Frank Haith, whose team had won its previous two games after a six-game losing streak. Tulsa had a surprising 6-2 start in conference play before that.
SMU: The Mustangs shot 60 percent (33 of 55) in their highest-scoring game of the season. ... Tim Jankovich still hasn't lost in 24 home games as SMU's coach — all 17 this season and seven in the past when filling in for Larry Brown, the Hall of Fame coach who was in attendance Thursday night. This is the Mustangs' fourth year in the AAC. They won the regular-season title in 2015.
