The Horned Frog men’s basketball team defeated Southern Methodist University 84-64 Tuesday night to bring its season record to a 2-0 start for the second year in a row.

Head men’s basketball coach Jim Christian said he was surprised at how high scoring the game was against the Mustangs.

“SMU likes to play with a lot of ball control, so it was important for us to dictate the tempo early,” Christian said.

Junior point guard Hank Thorns had his first career double-double against the Mustangs with 10 assists and 13 points. Thorns had several turnovers against SMU and said that was an important aspect of the game he was concerned about.

“The only number I look at after the game is my turnovers,” Thorns said. “I hold myself to a high standard, and I shouldn’t have more than two turnovers a game.”

Christian said the team runs smoother when Thorns is on the court. He also said that pressure is taken off of the other players when Thorns is playing.

“He has a real understanding for what it is we are trying to do and when to get the guys the ball,” Christian said.

Junior guard Sammy Yeager said that he has been able to feed off the other players and that teamwork is getting better each game.

“Usually, it takes a couple of years to really know where you teammates are going to be on the court and to get that bond and togetherness of a team,” Yeager said.

The men’s basketball team continues play this weekend in Springfield, Mass. with its first tournament of the season.