Here are a few takeaways from SMU's 74-65 win over Tulsa on Thursday in the first round of the American Athletic Conference tournament:
Fantastic first-half shooting
Quick starts always help in elimination games, and that's exactly what SMU got. The Mustangs shot 62 percent from the field and 81 percent from the free-throw line before the break. Jahmal McMurray and Ethan Chargois paced SMU with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Jimmy Whitt and Feron Hunt converted each of their combined 7 shots, adding 15 points.
Good shooting wasn't the only good news. The Mustangs out-rebounded Tulsa 18-11, scored 12 points in the paint and won the points-off-turnovers margin despite committing more turnovers.