College Basketball Roundup: ECU sunk by SMU’s 15 3s

Davidson tops Saint Louis; WCU loses at Mercer

East Carolina Basketball

DALLAS — Tyson Jolly scored 17 points and the first of his five 3-pointers kicked off a 10-0 run for the Mustangs as SMU walloped Eastern Carolina 84-64 Wednesday night.

Kendric Davis added 15 points with nine assists and Ethan Chargois posted 12 points as SMU (14-4, 4-2 American Athletic Conference), earned its fifth straight home victory. Isiaha Mike added eight points, five rebounds and six assists.

SMU posted a season-high 15 3-pointers — second most in school history. The Mustangs are 11-1 at Moody Coliseum this season.

Jayden Gardner and Brandon Suggs each scored 18 points for East Carolina (8-111, 2-4), which lost a third straight. Tristen Newton added 15 points with six assists. Gardner led with nine rebounds.

The Mustangs were 55% shooting for the game (29-for-53), owned the boards 37-26 and avenged a Jan. 11 loss to East Carolina, 71-68. SMU faces Memphis on the road on Saturday. East Carolina matches up against Tulane at home on Saturday.

Gudmundsson, Grady lead Davidson over Saint Louis

DAVIDSON — Jon Axel Gudmundsson had 20 points as Davidson beat Saint Louis 71-59 on Wednesday night.

Gudmundsson hit 15 of 16 from the free-throw line. He added eight rebounds.

Kellan Grady had 18 points and seven rebounds for Davidson (9-9, 3-3 Atlantic 10 Conference). Luka Brajkovic added 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. Carter Collins had 10 points.
Saint Louis totaled 20 first-half points, a season low for the team.

Javonte Perkins tied a season high with 25 points for the Billikens (14-5, 3-3). Tay Weaver added 15 points. Hasahn French had 12 rebounds. Jordan Goodwin had six points and 12 rebounds.

Jordan Goodwin, whose 16.0 points per game entering the matchup led the Billikens, was held to only six points on 3-of-12 shooting.

Davidson faces George Mason at home on Saturday. Saint Louis faces Fordham at home on Sunday.

Mercer knocks off Western Carolina

MACON — Djordje Dimitrijevic scored 24 points, Jeff Gary added 20 more and Mercer held on to defeat Western Carolina 85-79 in a Southern Conference rematch Wednesday night.

Ethan Stair added 17 points with 13 rebounds for the Bears (9-11, 3-4 Southern Conference) and the top-scoring trio combined to go 17-for-18 at the free-throw line, Gary scored 15 points after halftime — a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor including two of his three 3-pointers.

Mercer was 18-for-20 from the foul line, picking up eight more points than the Catamounts (12-6, 4-3) in a game that was nearly statistically equal otherwise,

After starting conference play 4-0, the Catamounts have now dropped three in a row — to Mercer, which they beat 11 days ago, and to SoCon powers Furman and ETSU.

Mason Faulkner scored 23 points for Western Carolina, Carlos Dotson scored a season-high 22 points plus 10 rebounds and six assists. Travion McCray had 13 points.

Mercer takes on VMI on the road on Saturday. Western Carolina faces Wofford at home on Saturday.