SMU on target from long range in blowout win over Stanford

Field Level Media|published: Sat 1st February, 20:37 2025

Feb 1, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Southern Methodist Mustangs guard Kario Oquendo (8) celebrates during the second half against the Stanford Cardinal at Moody Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Kario Oquendo shot a perfect game en route to 16 points, SMU made 50 percent of its 3-pointers and the Mustangs wasted little time separating themselves from visiting Stanford in an 85-61 Atlantic Coast Conference shellacking on Saturday night.

Samet Yigitoglu had 17 points and Matt Cross 16 for the Mustangs (17-5, 8-3), who scored 34 of the game's first 45 points and coasted to their third-most lopsided victory of the ACC season.

Maxime Raynaud managed an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double for the Cardinal (15-7, 7-4), who saw a four-game winning streak come to a screeching halt.

Raynaud hit a pair of shots, including a 3-pointer, as the Cardinal played the hosts evenly into the game's fifth minute before the Mustangs took control. Boopie Miller, Cross and Oquendo drilled consecutive 3-pointers in a 9-2 burst that opened the floodgates.

SMU went on to lead 27-9 just past the midpoint of the first half following a 13-point run, then 34-11 after another seven-point flurry.

The hosts were up 45-25 at the intermission and extended the margin to as many as 36 in the second half before settling for the 24-point margin of victory, the Mustangs' most in an ACC game other than a 117-74 romp over Miami (Fla.) last month and a 103-77 pounding of Boston College in December.

Oquendo made both of his 3-point shots (2-for-2) and all of his two-pointers (3-for-3) and free throws (4-for-4), the third time in his college career he has had a perfect shooting night. On the previous two occasions -- while playing for Oregon -- he didn't attempt any threes.

Yigitoglu went 6-for-12 and Cross 6-for-10 for SMU, which shot 53.4 percent from the field. Chuck Harris knocked down four of his seven 3-point attempts in a 14-point performance, helping the hosts finish 12-for-24 from beyond the arc.

Miller was a fifth Mustang in double figures with 10 as part of a double-double with a game-high 10 assists. Cross was SMU's leading rebounder with eight.

Raynaud shot just 6-for-17 overall and 2-for-6 on threes for Stanford, which finished at 33.3 percent overall and 22.2 percent on 3-pointers. The double-double was his 18th of the season.

Oziyah Sellers led Stanford with 19 points, while Benny Gealer was the top Cardinal in assists with four on an 0-for-6, scoreless night.

--Field Level Media