Jahmal McMurray was held scoreless for the first 13 minutes of SMU’s 82-54 win over ECU Wednesday night, but he broke through in a big way.

With the game tied at 18, and just over seven minutes to go in the first half, McMurray hit a three from the corner that gave SMU the lead. After Jimmy Whitt hit a layup, McMurray responded with one of his own. Those two baskets, along with a McMurray assist, guided SMU to a 20-7 run that helped turn a close game into a blowout.

He finished the night with 20 points, 13 of which came in the second half.

It took SMU more than two minutes to score its first basket of the game. Jarrey Foster was the man who did so, hitting a jumper in the paint with 17:40 left in the first half. But both teams failed to pull away in the first few minutes, trading the lead several times. Ethan Chargois found the bottom of the net to tie things at 18, then McMurray hit a three to give the Mustangs the lead. They never looked back, embarking on a 45-12 run that turned a close game into a blowout.

SMU’s win puts the team at 9-4 and 1-0 in conference play. It takes on Tulane Friday in New Orleans.

Takeaways

Nat Dixon clutch off of the bench: Dixon provided a spark for the Mustangs in their game against Georgetown in December, coming off of the bench to score 11 points. He replicated that feat Wednesday, scoring 11 points and hitting two 3-pointers. He will need to keep that up, as SMU lacks a consistent scoring threat off of the bench.

Foster struggles: Foster didn't look comfortable, missing two dunks and struggling to shoot the ball. He had one play where he looked like the old Jarrey, hitting a hook shot in the paint despite contact, but just didn't appear to be crisp. He had an ice bag taped to his knee after the game.

Hunt leads team in rebounds: Feron Hunt may not appear to be a significant inside presence, but he has been the Mustangs' most reliable rebounder so far. Hunt grabbed 12 of them Wednesday, 10 of which came on the defensive end. He's secured more than five rebounds in every game he's played in.

Will Douglas sees minutes in garbage time: The sophomore guard has fallen hard. Last year, William Douglas factored into the Mustangs' rotation nearly every game and looked to be a part of the team's future plans. Now, it appears he has been left by the wayside. Douglas played three minutes against ECU, coming in when the game had long since been secured. He played just three minutes against Cornell in the Mustangs last game, having sat out the three before that. He is a player on the brink -- a guy who really needs to improve on the offensive side of the game in order to make an impact at SMU.