TEXAS, Sporting Alert – ESPN3 college basketball live games on Thursday, December 17. The fixture includes AP top 25 teams, as well as non-rankers and these games will also stream live on WatchESPN.
After outclassing Nicholls State 86-42 on Wednesday night, No. 18 SMU will take on Hampton in the Las Vegas Classic.
Against Nicholls State a night ago, junior forward Ben Moore collected 22 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists and senior Jordan Tolbert added 18 points and a career-high 23 boards to lead the Mustangs, who improved to 8-0 on the season.
The rebounding performance by Tolbert was only three shy of the school record of 26, set by Ira Terrell in December 1975 and supportive head coach Tim Jankovich, who took charge while head coach Larry Brown continues to serve a nine-game ban for NCAA violations, was delighted with the outing.
“A 23-rebound night — I don’t care who you’re playing, when you’re playing or what you’re playing — you don’t see many of those,” said Jankovich.
On Thursday night, Tolbert and Moore will be hoping to repeat those efforts against at Moody Coliseum, in Dallas, Texas.
The Pirates (4-3) have not played in almost two weeks and they should be fresh for this battle.
“One thing they are is fresh,” Jankovich noted. “Rusty, I hope, is another thing. They are fresh and we are not.
“But we did get the rust off of us, so maybe that will be an advantage.”
Last time out, they squeezed by Coppin State, 74-71 in overtime on Dec 5, with Reginald Johnson Jr. scoring 22 points and Quinton Chievous adding 21 and 10 rebounds.
SMU enters this contest allowing 59 points per game, which is ranked 11th in the league, while scoring 82.4 points per game and dishing out 20.3 assists per contest, the 5th best number in the league.
The American Athletic Conference team is also shooting 52.8 percent from the field, 44.1 percent from 3-point range.
SMU got off to fast start against Nicholls State — scoring the opening 12 points of the matchup, while racing out to a 20-2 lead in the first 5 1/2 minutes.
shot 50.8 percent, had 59 rebounds and 24 assists overall as a team against the Colonels, but turned the ball over 16 times.
The Mustangs starting forward Markus Kennedy and fellow starter Keith Frazier, guard, remains on the sidelines with ankle and knee injuries, while reserve guard Sedrick Barefield will also miss out with the fever.
Other ESPN3 college basketball live games for Thursday include Maryville against Bradley, Norfolk State battling with Evansville, Charleston Southern vs. Wright State and South Dakota plays Milwaukee.
ESPN3 College Basketball Live Games
For Thursday, December 17 (EST)
7:00 PM Hampton vs. No. 18 SMU ESPN3
7:00 PM Charleston Southern vs. Wright State ESPN3
8:00 PM South Dakota vs. Milwaukee ESPN3
8:00 PM Maryville vs. Bradley ESPN3
8:00 PM Norfolk State vs. Evansville ESPN3
