Dec. 4, 2004

Box Score

DALLAS - Southern Methodist senior center Eric Castro went 8-for-9 from the field and finished with 16 points as the Mustangs posted a 74-57 win over Texas State Saturday in Moody Coliseum.

Castro was one of three SMU players to finish with 16 points. Bryan Hopkins, who knocked down 5-of-10 three-pointers, and Patrick Simpson each had 16 to help pace the Mustangs.

With the win, SMU improved to 3-2 after a week which included losses to No. 6 Oklahoma State (76-57) and on the road at Texas Tech (105-67). Texas State fell to 2-2 heading into a three-game home stand which begins Tuesday against Utah Valley State.

Leading 38-28 at the break, SMU opened the second half with a 10-4 run to extend its lead to 16 points. Castro had an offensive stickback and scored on a layin to start the run.

"I think the first five minutes of the second half was the difference," said Texas State coach Dennis Nutt. "We came out real lethargic and were not very aggressive. "

The Bobcats would get the lead down to seven as Josh Naylor hit back to back threes to make the score 52-47 with 11:44 to play but out of a timeout, SMU would answer by scoring the next eight beginning with another Castro putback and highlighted by a Hopkins three-pointer.

In the first half, with the score tied at 9, Justin Isham sparked a 12-3 run to push the Mustangs out to a 21-12 lead. The senior guard, who came into the game averaging 10 points an outing, scored eight straight during SMU's rally.

Texas State's Markee White would hit a jumper from the left wing to stop the rally and the Bobcats would get to within two at 26-24, capped by a three-pointer by Lance Burroughs at the 5:24 mark. But from there the `Cats would make just one more field goal, a three-pointer by Brad Brickens with 34 seconds left in the half to cut an SMU lead to 38-28 at the break.

The Bobcats were led by Zach Allison who scored 12 points while Naylor added 11 and Anthony Dill scored 10. As a team, Texas State shot just 37 percent from the field while SMU shot 56 percent including a 15-for-23 performance in the second half.