Kario Oquendo scored 21 points and SMU shrugged off a ragged mid-game stretch to defeat visiting Virginia 63-51 on Saturday afternoon in Atlantic Coast Conference play in Dallas, Texas.The Mustangs (8-2, 1-0 ACC) trailed through the first 13 minutes of the second half before tying the game at 47 on a 3-pointer by Oquendo with 6:06 to play. A driving layup by Boopie Miller with 2:33 left gave SMU a 56-51 advantage, and free throws by Chuck Harris and Miller in the final 1:03 clinched the victory.Samet Yigitoglu added 16 points and Matt Cross took 10 rebounds for SMU, which scored the game’s final nine points.Isaac McKneely led Virginia (5-4, 0-1 ACC) with 17 points. The Cavaliers missed their final nine shots and went scoreless in the final 2:44 of the game.The game went back and forth over the first 11 minutes and was tied at 17 after a layup by Yigitoglu at the 8:47 mark of the first half. That basket marked the first points of an 8-0 run that granted the Mustangs a 23-17 lead with 7:06 to play in the half.SMU pushed its lead to 30-22 on a dunk by Yigitoglu with 4:25 remaining before the Cavaliers responded, closing the half on a 6-0 run capped by Ishan Sharma’s 3-pointer with 48 seconds left. The Mustangs led 30-28 at the break despite missing six of their final seven shots and committing three turnovers in that final stretch.
SMU survives ragged mid-game stretch to beat Virginia in ACC opener
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