{"id":53184,"date":"2017-11-24T07:39:47","date_gmt":"2017-11-24T07:39:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=53184"},"modified":"2017-11-24T07:39:47","modified_gmt":"2017-11-24T07:39:47","slug":"no-4-arizona-loses-to-smu-in-second-straight-upset-at-battle-4-atlanti","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/sports\/no-4-arizona-loses-to-smu-in-second-straight-upset-at-battle-4-atlanti.html","title":{"rendered":"No. 4 Arizona loses to SMU in second straight upset at Battle 4 Atlanti"},"content":{"rendered":"

No. 4 Arizona loses to SMU in second straight upset at Battle 4 Atlantis<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

SMU attacked the glass and kept scoring off turnovers to offset a bad shooting performance. It was enough to hand No. 4 Arizona a second stunning loss to an unranked opponent in two nights.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben Emelogu scored 20 points and the Mustangs upset the Wildcats 66-60 in Thursday\u2019s consolation round at the Battle 4 Atlantis, a jarring start for an Arizona team that began the season as a Final Four favorite with a preseason All-American in Allonzo Trier.<\/span><\/p>\n

Arizona (3-2) lost to North Carolina State 90-84 in Wednesday\u2019s first round. It\u2019s the first time the Wildcats have dropped back-to-back games against nonconference opponents since losing to Mississippi State and San Diego State in November 2011.<\/span><\/p>\n

“This is a different feeling,” coach Sean Miller said. “It might be healthy for our team because instead of everybody telling you how good you are and you\u2019re going to get to a Final Four and you\u2019re awesome, it\u2019s going to go opposite now.<\/span><\/p>\n

“And I think that it could be something that drives our team to have even better practice to fix a few things and hopefully get back in the winner\u2019s circle.”<\/span><\/p>\n

The Mustangs (5-1) blew an 11-point lead in the second half but responded with a 10-2 run to go ahead for good. SMU won despite shooting 31% and going eight minutes without a basket in the second half.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I always say \u2014 and everybody thinks I\u2019m lying, but I\u2019m not when I say this \u2014 the best wins of the year are always when you can\u2019t get your shots to go in the basket and you find a way to win anyway,” SMU coach Tim Jankovich said. “That\u2019s how great seasons are made. Everybody wins when they shoot great and feel great and all that.”<\/span><\/p>\n

The Mustangs hung on in two ways. First, they capitalized on 20 Arizona turnovers by scoring 19 points off those miscues. Then there was their effort on the boards; they were out-rebounded 43-39 overall but nearly doubled up Arizona on the offensive glass (20-11) to finish with 23 more shot attempts and 14 second-chance points.<\/span><\/p>\n

“We talk about this all the time,” Jankovich said. “Really break it down: Does it take a lot of talent to go run after a ball? Does it take a lot of talent to dive on a ball? \u2026 And the answer is no. So really what it takes is the character and it takes an unselfishness and a commitment to the things that win rather than the things that necessarily make me look good.<\/span><\/p>\n

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“And in the end, if you have a team full of those guys, then you\u2019re going to have a successful team.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Trier scored 22 points to lead the Wildcats, who shot 47%. Arizona freshman Deandre Ayton added 17 points and 15 rebounds, but no other Wildcats player scored in double figures. Arizona also shot just 5-of-20 on 3-pointers.<\/span><\/p>\n

“No, our confidence isn\u2019t affected at all,” freshman forward Ira Lee said. “We\u2019ve just got to see these two games as a learning experience and move on.”<\/span><\/p>\n

BIG PICTURE: SMU \u2014 The Mustangs trailed much of the way against Northern Iowa in their first-round tournament game, but played from ahead in this one. They also came up with a counter-punch, regaining the lead after Arizona erased that 11-point deficit.<\/span><\/p>\n

“The effort, gosh darn, I don\u2019t care if we were big or tiny or medium-sized out there or who was guarding who, I saw some fighting cats out there,” Jankovich said. “And I loved it.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Arizona \u2014 Miller immediately said offense wasn\u2019t the problem after the loss to N.C. State, noting the Wildcats haven\u2019t dropped many games when scoring 84 points. Rather, he was concerned about a bad defensive effort. This time, his team had some good defensive moments, but Miller said there was something missing in glaring fashion.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Maybe we did play some good defense,” Miller said, “but defense always ends with the rebounding. And we were unable to rebound.”<\/span><\/p>\n

EMELOGU\u2019S NIGHT: Emelogu went 7-of-11 from the field and 5-of-7 on 3-pointers to lead SMU\u2019s offense. The rest of SMU\u2019s starters made 12-of-53 shots (23%).<\/span><\/p>\n

“A lot of times, you just play hard and play defense, you win games even though offense didn\u2019t go our way,” Emelogu said.<\/span><\/p>\n

UP NEXT: SMU \u2014 The Mustangs will play Western Kentucky in Friday\u2019s fifth-place game. Arizona \u2014 The Wildcats will play No. 16 Purdue in Friday\u2019s seventh-place game.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-\u00a0https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/sports\/ncaab\/2017\/11\/24\/arizona-upset-southern-methodist-battle-4-atlantis\/891978001\/<\/span><\/p>\n

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