SMU Basketball Surge: Mustangs’ Latest Upset Fuels NCAA Tournament Hopes

DALLAS – SMU basketball fans left Moody Coliseum buzzing Saturday afternoon after the Mustangs edged Florida State 83-80 in a nail-biter that delivered head coach Andy Enfield his 300th career victory. Junior guard KJ Pierre Jr. poured in a season-high 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting, repeatedly attacking the lane and calmly sinking two free throws with 7.4 seconds remaining to seal the outcome. The win moves SMU to 15-5 overall and 4-3 in Atlantic Coast Conference play, strengthening its NCAA Tournament résumé as the calendar flips to February. How the game was won • Back-and-forth second half: The teams traded eight lead changes after the break, but SMU never trailed by more than three. • Clutch defense: Graduate forward Jalen Smith deflected an in-bounds pass with 1.9 seconds on the clock, preventing the Seminoles from attempting a potential game-tying three. • Bench spark: Freshman sharpshooter Malik Harrison drilled three triples in a two-minute span to erase a 66-61 deficit midway through the half. Florida State (8-12, 1-6 ACC) received a 20-point, 12-rebound double-double from sophomore center Lajae Jones but could not capitalize on late opportunities, missing four of its final six free-throw attempts and committing a five-second violation on the decisive possession. Inside the numbers • Points in the paint: SMU 42, FSU 34 • Fast-break points: SMU 18, FSU 6 • Turnovers: SMU 9 (14 points off), FSU 14 (20 points off) Player notes • Pierre Jr. topped the 25-point mark for the third time this season and is now averaging 19.3 ppg in conference games. • Senior wing BJ Edwards added 16 points and six assists, becoming the first Mustang to log 100 career ACC dimes since the program joined the league. • Jones’ double-double was his seventh of the year, tying him for second in the ACC. What’s next The Mustangs travel to Chapel Hill on Tuesday for a showdown with No. 5 North Carolina (8 p.m. CT, ESPN). A victory would give SMU its first three-game conference win streak since 2024 and could vault the Mustangs into the AP Top 25. Florida State returns home Wednesday to host Georgia Tech, looking to snap a four-game road skid. With Enfield’s milestone win, Pierre Jr.’s breakout performance and ACC standings implications, SMU basketball is rapidly becoming one of January’s must-watch stories for college hoops fans nationwide.