The Pirates (8-9, 0-4 AAC) struggled against No. 10 SMU’s big men as the Mustangs outscored and out-rebounded the Pirates throughout the game. The Mustangs (16-0; 5-0 AAC) finished the game out-rebounding ECU, 42-22 and outscoring them in the paint, 36-18.
SMU’s success down low is something that both head coaches acknowledged as a huge difference in the game.
“Inside we struggled, we didn’t really have any kind of matchup inside, they hurt us, 36-18 in the paint,” Lebo said.
SMU head coach Larry Brown said when you out-rebound a team by such a large margin it gives you a much better chance to win because it creates easier shots.