SMU scored the first nine points and never looked back in an 85-50 dismantling of visiting Sam Houston on Saturday night in the season opener for both teams in University Park, Texas.

SMU freshman guard Shake Milton led SMU with 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting in his collegiate debut. Junior forward Ben Moore contributed 15 points and eight rebounds for SMU.

Guard Dakarai Henderson led Sam Houston State with 17 points.

With former President George W. Bush sitting courtside at Moody Coliseum, SMU shot 63.3 percent, to Sam Houston's 27.9 percent, and led by as many as 40 points.

A dunk by guard Keith Frazier, who finished with 13 points, gave the Mustangs a 35-15 lead with three minutes left in the first half. SMU's lead was 40-19 at halftime.

Mustangs guard Nic Moore, the preseason Player of the Year in the American Athletic Conference, struggled on 2-of-7 shooting to finish with eight points, five rebounds and an assist.

Associate head coach Tim Jankovich filled in for SMU's Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown, who was serving the first game of a nine-game suspension for NCAA violations.