Tolbert's 20 points, 19 boards lead No. 18 SMU past Hampton

By foxsports
Published

DALLAS (AP) Jordan Tolbert posted another big double-double, getting 20 points and 19 rebounds as No. 18 SMU remained unbeaten with a 105-72 romp over Hampton on Thursday night.

A night after having 18 points and 23 boards in a rout over Nicholls State, Tolbert helped the Mustangs (9-0) to their highest-scoring game since November 2010. SMU is off to its best start since going 10-0 to open the 1997-98 season.

SMU played its final game under the direction of associate head coach Tim Jankovich. Head coach Larry Brown served a nine-game suspension after the NCAA ruled in September that a former men's basketball administrative assistant completed online course work for a student to help him be admitted to school. The Mustangs also are banned from postseason play this season, including the American Athletic Conference tournament.

Hampton (4-4) was led by Quinton Chievous and Brian Darden with 18 points each. The Pirates trailed 58-53 with 15:20 left before SMU pulled away.

Tolbert had already recorded his fourth double-double of the season by halftime.

Sterling Brown scored a career-high 23 points and Nic Moore added 18, hitting four of his first five 3-point shots of the second half.

The Mustangs had only seven active players for the second straight day. Injuries sidelined regular starters Markus Kennedy (ankle) and Keith Frazier (knee) while reserve Sedrick Barefield, averaging 3.2 minutes in five appearances, couldn't play because of illness.

Hampton came in following 11 days off after beating Coppin State on Dec. 5 in its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener. It was close in the second half until Moore's outside shooting keyed a 13-2 run.

SMU outscored Hampton 62-31 in the second half.

TIP-INS

Hampton: Reginald Johnson Jr. had 16 points. He scored in double figures for the seventh straight game after being held to seven in the Pirates' season opener.

SMU: Six Mustangs scored in double figures, which was last done in December 2008. SMU's other player, walk-on Jonathan Wilfong, was scoreless playing seven minutes.

UP NEXT

Hampton: At Colorado on Saturday.

SMU: Vs. Kent State in Las Vegas on Tuesday.