NCAA News Wire
SMU 67, Illinois-Chicago 46
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
SMU earned its fifth consecutive win, defeating Illinois-Chicago 67-46 Wednesday in a nonconference game at Moody Coliseum in Dallas.
The Mustangs jumped out to a 4-0 lead and never relinquished control. They pressured Illinois-Chicago into difficult shots, and the Flames hit just 26.6 percent from the floor, including 6-of-32 shooting, 18.8 percent, in the first half.
Illinois-Chicago went on an 15-3 run early in the second half to get within 34-30. However, SMU countered with an 11-4 run to extend its lead back to double digits and put the game out of reach.
The Mustangs (7-3) had a trio of double-figure scorers. Sophomore guard Keith Frazier finished with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds. Junior guard Nic Moore also tallied 16 points, and senior center Yanick Moreira posted 11 points and eight rebounds.
Illinois-Chicago (3-9) got a team-high 15 points from senior guard Marc Brown. Playing in his hometown, Brown shot just 5-for-16, though he banked in a pair of 3-pointers. The Flames also received a six-point, seven-rebound performance from junior forward Jake Wiegand.
Illinois-Chicago returns to action Monday when it travels up the road to Evanston, Ill., for a date with Northwestern. The Flames won their last meeting with the Wildcats at Welsh-Ryan Arena 50-44 during the 2012-13 season.
SMU plays at Michigan on Saturday.
