Feb 7, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; SMU MUstangs guard B.J. Davis-Ray (9) drives on Pittsburgh Panthers Damarco Minor (7) through the second half at Petersen Occasions Middle. The Panthers misplaced 86-67. Obligatory Credit score: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Photographs SMU seems to deal with enterprise and construct some momentum for the stretch run when it faces a struggling Notre Dame group Tuesday in Dallas.
The Mustangs (16-7, 5-5 Atlantic Coast Convention) head residence after a dominating 86-67 win at Pitt on Saturday that snapped a two-game shedding streak. Each of these losses got here towards Quad 1 groups.
SMU made its case to be within the working for an at-large bid for the NCAA Event by taking good care of the Panthers in brief vogue after main by simply two factors at halftime.
Jaron Pierre Jr. led the Mustangs with 21 factors in Saturday’s victory whereas Boopie Miller scored 20 factors and completed with 9 assists, Samet Yigitoglu racked up 15 factors and eight rebounds, and Jaden Toombs hit for 10 factors off the bench.
SMU shot 57.1% from the ground and held Pitt to 36.1% capturing.
“We will rating the ball,” SMU coach Andy Enfield mentioned after the win. “We simply should defend it on the different finish to permit us to get out in transition, which we did an excellent job of within the second half. … You must get stops on the opposite finish earlier than you get out in transition.”
The Mustangs lead the ACC in scoring with 86.4 factors per recreation
Notre Dame (11-13, 2-9) is tied on the backside of the ACC standings due to a four-game shedding streak, with the most recent setback an 82-79 resolution at residence towards Florida State on Saturday.
The Preventing Irish have only one victory for the reason that calendar turned to 2026, a 68-64 residence win over Boston Faculty on Jan. 24, and have dropped 9 of their previous 10 outings.
Braeden Shrewsberry had 18 factors and Jalen Haralson scored 15 earlier than fouling out with 2:33 to steer the Irish in Saturday’s loss.
Notre Dame practically flipped the script, getting scorching from the ground within the second half to show an 18-point first-half deficit right into a 75-74 lead with 2:07 to play. However 4 missed free throws within the remaining minutes in the end doomed the Irish, who would miss the ACC match if it started in the present day.
“I must put us in higher positions. Possibly I would like to vary the lineup, perhaps I would like (to) change who begins, once we’re subbing, no matter it might be,” Notre Dame coach Micah Shrewsberry mentioned. “It was unacceptable how we began. I am going to take full accountability for it.”
–Discipline Degree Media
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