Shake Milton tossed in 28 points and SMU overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to beat Maryland-Baltimore County, 78-67 in the season opener Friday night.
UMBC maintained a lead until Milton hit a pair of free throws and Ben Emelogu II nailed a 3 to give the Mustangs a 66-63 lead.
Milton was a perfect 10-for-10 shooting from the line and knocked down six free throws down the stretch to help SMU seal the win.
The Mustangs outscored UMBC 40-22 over the final 20 minutes.
Jarrey Foster finished with 17 points for SMU, which hit 22 of 47 from the field (46.8 percent), including 8 of 23 from beyond the 3-point arc. The Mustangs also converted 26 of 35 free-throw attempts. Ethan Chargois added 15 points.
Jairus Lyles and Arkel Lamar scored 24 and 23 points, respectively, to lead the Retrievers, who shot 21 of 50 from the field (42 percent).
