For the third time in five games, the Mustangs face an opponent either ranked or receiving votes in the top 25 poll when they take on No. 2 Connecticut Saturday in the XL Center in Hartford, Conn., on ESPN3/SNY at 1 p.m. ET/12 p.m. CT. SMU is 4-7 entering the contest against the defending national champion, while the Huskies are 8-1, suffering a lone, two-point loss in overtime at Stanford. SMU is led by its post tandem in junior Destynee Hives-Mcray, who is scoring 10.5 points per game and grabbing a team-high 8.3 rebounds, and freshman Alicia Froling, who leads the team with 11.3 points per game and averages 7.6 rebounds.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT - No. 2 CONNECTICUT
The Huskies are out-scoring opponents 89.9-54.7, and Stanford is the only opponent to score more than 65 points, winning 88-86 in overtime. Four of five starters average at least 13 points, led by Breanna Stewart's 18.0 points per contest. Connecticut is shooting 52.9 percent from the field, and making 39.3 percent from 3-point range, while holding opponents to a 33.3 shooting percentage.

Series History: SMU faced Connecticut for the first time in program history last season, losing twice against the Huskies in American Athletic Conference games. This will be the first time SMU has ever played in the XL Center.

LAST TIME OUT - AUBURN
For the second straight day, SMU had a strong second-half rally but could not overcome a first-half deficit, with SMU falling to Auburn, 56-43, in the consolation game of the St. John's Invitational on Sunday afternoon. SMU fell to 4-7 with the loss, while Auburn improved to 8-3 on the year. The Tigers led 35-18 at halftime, and led by 20 with 7:43 to go in the half, but the Mustangs bounced back with nine straight points, including six by Destynee Hives-McCray, to pull within 11 by the 3:44 mark. Auburn extended its lead to 23 points less than three minutes into the second half. From that point forward, SMU outscored the Tigers 25-15, with Alicia Froling scoring 12 of her 14 points in the second half on 4-of-5 shooting.

UP NEXT - TEMPLE
SMU will stay on the road following a matchup at Connecticut, playing at Temple Dec. 30 to conclude the five-day road trip, the second lengthy road trip in two week following an 11-day break for final exams. The Owls begin play in the American Athletic Conference with a 4-8 record, losing five of their last six, and start the conference schedule at Memphis Dec. 28. Tanaya Atkinson leads the team with 12.8 points per game, and is one of three starters averaging at least 10 points.

Series History:
SMU split the season series with Temple last season, with each team winning on its home floor. Temple won 80-66 in Philadelpia on Jan. 14, the first meeting between the two programs all-time, and SMU took an 85-75 victory in Moody Coliseum on Feb. 1.

YOUNG TEAM
With six freshmen, and the fewest returning letterwinners head coach Rhonda Rompola has ever entered a season with, the Mustangs are the youngest team in The American. SMU has a total of eight active players who weren't playing for the Mustangs a year ago, and of the returning players, only Kiara Perry started more than 10 games, playing in all 32 games with 30 starts. Destynee Hives-McCray started the first 10 games before an illness knocked her out for the rest of the season. Florida Atlantic has eight freshmen and nine newcomers on a 13-player roster.

TOUGH COMPETITION
The Mustangs have played three teams though 11 games that have received votes or been ranked this season. USC earned votes in the preseason poll, and escaped Moody Coliseum with a 64-57 victory in the championship game of the SMU Thanksgiving Classic. SMU played Arizona State in Tempe while the Sun Devils were receiving votes in both polls. Based on votes, the Sun Devils would currently be ranked 28th in the AP poll. Texas A&M was fourth in the AP poll and fifth in the coaches poll when the Aggies left Moody Coliseum with a 70-62 win. SMU is scheduled to play six more games against opponents either ranked or receiving votes, including Connecticut, South Florida and Tulane.

HIVES-MCCRAY RETURNS
Destynee Hives-McCray is averaging a team-high 8.3 rebounds and is scoring 10.5 points, second on the team. She has reached double figures six times with three double-doubles, and finished with nine points and seven rebounds against North Texas. She started the first 10 games of the 2013-14 season before coming down with an illness, which sidelined her for the rest of the season. She received a medical waiver from the NCAA and has two seasons of eligibility left at SMU. Through 10 games, she was averaging 11.0 points per game, shooting 53.8 percent from the field, and grabbing 7.0 rebounds per contest. The Mustangs were 8-2 before losing the post player.

READY FOR ROUND TWO
Sophomore Kiara Perry is averaging 8.5 points per game and scored a career-high 16-point performance at Arizona State. She recorded the second double-double of her career with 10 points and 11 rebounds against North Texas, and has scored at least 10 points three times this season, including the last two games. Perry was 8-of-11 at Arizona State, and is shooting 40.4 percent during a four-game stretch (19-of-47). As a freshman, Perry averaged 7.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game and was named to the American Athletic Conference All-Freshman team. She scored at least 10 points 10 times last season, including seven conference games.

Alicia Froling
Freshman Alicia Froling leads the team with 11.3 points per game, ranking in the top 20 in the American Athletic Conference, and is second on the team and 11th in the league with 7.6 rebounds per game. The Australian is shooting 48.3 percent from the field (43-of-89) and is shooting 72.5 percent at the free throw line (37-of-51). She has scored at least 10 points in each of the last seven games, and has two double-doubles.

AUSSIE, AUSSIE, AUSSIE
With the addition of Stephanie Collins, a freshman from Melbourne, Australia, SMU has three Australian freshmen. Twins Alicia and Keely Froling started the season as impact players, and Collins immediately made her presence felt at the St. John's Holiday Classic. Making her collegiate debut against Indiana State, the 6-5 post player finished with a block, and altered several other shots, aiding in SMU's comeback attempt. Collins finished the tournament with three points, a block and four rebounds in 18 minutes over two games.

THE GREAT GABBY
Gabrielle Wilkins is averaging 9.7 points after missing the first two games. The junior has scored at least 10 each in three of the last six games, with a season-high 15 against North Texas. She has scored at least nine points five times, and has eight made 3-pointers, shooting 34.8 percent from behind the arc.

RECENT SUCCESS
SMU advanced to the second round of the WNIT last season, competing in the postseason for the 13th time during Rhonda Rompola's tenure, including five of the last seven seasons. The Mustangs have won at least 20 games in four of the last seven seasons. SMU went 18-14 during the inaugural season of the American Athletic Conference last season, advancing to the second round of the WNIT, and played five games against three different ranked opponents, all in the top 10 at the time of the game.

GOING, GOING, GONE
The Mustangs lost the top two scorers in all-conference selections Keena Mays and Akil Simpson, as well as a total of 70 percent of points scored with the loss of six players from the 2013-14 squad. Mays set the SMU single-season record with 691 points, averaging a league-high 21.6, and had a team-high 74 steals. Simpson was second on the team with 13.2 points per game, shooting 49.9 percent from her post position. Point guard Korina Baker also graduated after recording 122 assists with 5.8 points per game as a senior. SMU also lost forward Mallory Singleton (15 starts, 5.3 ppg), guard Krystal Johnson (9.2 minutes per game), and forward Brittney Hardy (7.4 minutes per game).

STAFF CONSISTENCY
Head coach Rhonda Rompola and associate head coach Lisa Dark have been together on the sidelines since Rompola took over the reins of the program 23 seasons ago. Assistant coach Deneen Parker joined the duo 19 years ago. The SMU staff has the second longest active tenure of any staff at one school. Danny Hughes joined the staff prior to the 2009-10 season and is entering his sixth year with the program.