Box Score   | GameDay Preview

IRVING, Texas — On the roster, Saint Mary's University's Evan Pederson (La Crosse, Wis.) is listed as a freshman. But on the court, Peterson played like a seasoned veteran in his first-ever collegiate basketball game Friday evening.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, Peterson's 11 points, eight rebounds and four assists wasn't enough, as SMU dropped its season opener 75-71 to the University of Dallas in the opening game of the University of Dallas Tip-Off Classic.

“We did a lot of good things tonight,” said SMU coach Todd Landrum. “We did a good job on the defensive boards, we attacked the basket and got to the (free throw) line, we just ran out of time down the stretch.”

SMU got off to a bit of a slow start, falling behind 36-30 at the break, but rallied to outscored Dallas 41-39 in the game's final 20 minutes. The Cardinals, trailing 74-71 late in the game, had a chance to tie the contest and send it to overtime, but their 3-pointer failed to connect and they were forced to foul.

Michael Burfeind (Lewiston, Minn.) scored a team-high 19 points, leading a trio of Cardinals in double figures. The junior forward went 6-for-11 from the field and a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line, while Pat Freeman (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) chipped in 15 points and Josh Bennett (North St. Paul, Minn.) and Pederson tallied 14 and 11 points, respectively.

The Cardinals shot 41 percent (22-for-54) from the field, while knocking down 25 of their 31 free throw attempts (81 percent). U. of Dallas, meanwhile hit on 31 of its 58 attempts from the field — including eight 3-pointers — while managing just 5 of 12 free throws.

The Cardinals (0-1 overall) are back in action on Saturday, squaring off against Austin College at 1 p.m. in the second day of the University of Dallas Tip-Off Classic.