No. 25 SMU beats Brown 77-69 to remain undefeated

UNIVERSITY PARK, Texas (AP) Missing its top two scorers, newly ranked SMU needed a spark from Keith Frazier to survive an early non-conference test.

Frazier scored a season-high 23 points to power No. 25 SMU to a 77-69 win over Brown on Sunday.

The Mustangs were without Nic Moore, who missed the game with a broken finger, and Ben Moore, who was suspended for a violation of team rules.

''Given the circumstances, we are very happy,'' associate head coach Tim Jankovich said. ''We had only nine scholarship players available to start. To be down two the day before the game was scary.''

SMU (4-0) was forced to go deep into its reserves. All seven healthy scholarship players played, including three true freshmen. One of them, Jarrey Foster, scored 15 points in his fourth game as a Mustang. Another, Shake Milton, led the Mustangs with seven assists.

Brown's Steven Spieth scored 14 points in his Dallas homecoming. He is the brother of top-ranked golfer Jordan Spieth.

Markus Kennedy added 13 points to help the Mustangs overcome a slow start in their first week of the season as a ranked team.

SMU allowed Brown (1-5) to hit seven of its first 10 3-pointers and take a 25-24 lead with 11:56 left in the first half. Frazier and Milton combined for 13 points to close the half on a 24-12 SMU run.

Justin Massey scored 16 points for Brown, which lost its fourth consecutive game. Cedric Kuakumensah added 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

''I think we've been better than what our record has shown,'' Brown coach Mike Martin said. ''I don't think we're far away from being a good team.''

SMU pushed its lead out as far as 16 in the second half, but struggled to put Brown away down the stretch. The Bears were within 10 for much of the second half, but never got closer than seven points. SMU hit only one field goal the last five minutes of the game.

The Mustangs outrebounded Brown 42-27.

TIP-INS

Brown: Kuakumensah blocked three shots to move within four of the career Ivy League record of 252, held by Dartmouth's Brian Gilpin.

SMU: Coach Larry Brown missed his fourth game as part of a nine-game NCAA suspension for academic fraud. The Mustangs are banned from all postseason play this season.

QUOTE OF THE NIGHT

Jankovich was complimentary of Brown's ability to hit the 3-point shot.

''Every player who comes on the floor is a 3-point threat,'' he said. ''It's kind of like playing the Golden State Warriors.''

HOMECOMING

Spieth also had five assists in his return to the Metroplex. Spieth is a graduate of nearby Jesuit College Prep. He shook hands with former President George W. Bush before the game.

UP NEXT

Brown: Hosts Central Connecticut State on Wednesday.

SMU: Visits TCU on Wednesday.