The 2012 Conference USA tournament is underway in Memphis. The opening round began on Wednesday and already one game is in the books, with the No. 7-seeded Rice Owls falling just short of advancing following a loss to No. 10 East Carolina Pirates.
Midway through Wednesday's second game, the No. 11 SMU Mustangs are having difficulty keeping pace with the sixth-seeded Marshall Thundering Herd. SMU trails 33-26 at halftime.
The winner of this game will advance to Thursday's quarterfinals and will play against the No. 3 seed Tulsa Golden Hurricane.
Rodney Clinkscales of the Mustangs is having a solid game so far, with 11 points, two rebounds and a steal. London Giles has put up eight points for SMU. On the Marshall side, guard DeAndre Kane has put up 11 points, also picking up three rebounds, two assists and two steals.
The Mustangs are shooting just 39.1 percent from the floor, including a 25 percent rate on three-point attempts.