UNIVERSITY PARK -- A hard-fought, come-from-behind victory over the University of Maryland, Baltimore County on the season's opening night proved to be a "perfect, perfect, perfect" experience for the SMU men's basketball team.
So contended coach Tim Jankovich, not a known masochist, in the wake of a 78-67 victory Friday that neither Jankovich nor his players anticipated would be so taxing.
Yes, UMBC won 21 games last season in the America East Conference. Yes, it is an experienced team. But SMU, which received votes in the preseason top 25 polls, is trying to establish itself as an elite program.