{
  "id": 17903402,
  "title": "Freshman Jakub Szumert scores 24 points to lead SMU over Southern 85-72",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/freshman-jakub-szumert-scores-24-points-to-lead-smu-over-southern-85",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-03T03:42:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/uncategorized/2026/11/02/freshman-jakub-szumert-scores-24-points-to-lead-smu-over-southern-85-72"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Freshman Jakub Szumert spearheaded SMU's victory over Southern 85-72 in Monday night's season opener. The 6-foot-9 forward from Poland netted 24 points, shooting 5 of 6 from the floor and 13 of 14 from the free-throw line. SMU took command late in the first half, leading 40-38 at the break. The Mustangs extended their lead with an 11-2 run in the second half. Southern fought back, scoring 9-1 to narrow the gap to 52-49, but they couldn't close the gap. R’Chaun King and Karez Demory each contributed 12 and 10 points, respectively, along with 17 steals to lead Southern. This marked SMU's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017, and their first home win against Southern since 2007.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Freshman Jakub Szumert scores 24 points to lead SMU",
    "SMU defeats Southern 85-72 in season opener",
    "Southern scores 9-1 to narrow 52-49 gap late"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Szumert’s immediate offensive impact provides the Mustangs with a strong foundation for their first season since 2017 competing on the national stage in the NCAA Tournament.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}