Mustangs Host Thanksgiving Classic Friday And Saturday
Nov 25 | Women's Basketball
| SMU (1-2) vs. Cal State Fullerton (2-3) | |
| Date & Tip Time | Fri., Nov. 27 at 5:30 p.m. |
| Location | Moody Coliseum – Dallas, Texas |
| Video | PonyUp Tv |
| Radio | KAAM 770 AM – Dallas |
| Live Stats | Gametracker |
| Game Info | Game Notes (.pdf) |
| /SMUMustangs | /SMUBasketballW | |
| @SMUMustangs | @SMUBasketballW | |
The Mustangs host the SMU Thanksgiving Classic in Moody Coliseum Friday and Saturday, taking on Cal State Fullerton in the first game Friday at 5:30 p.m. Northern Illinois plays Kansas in the second game Friday. The consolation game is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday, with the championship to follow. Admission is free for all games, and fans are encouraged to bring canned goods. Drop off locations will be located outside Moody Coliseum.
SCOUTING SMU
The Mustangs are 1-2 this season, and are averaging 70.0 points per game. Alicia Froling is averaging a double-double with 17.0 points and 12.3 rebounds per game, and junior transfer Ashley Gibson is scoring 11.7 points per game. SMU has five players averaging at least nine points per game. As a team, the Mustangs are shooting 39.4 percent from the field and 32.6 percent from 3-point range.
LAST TIME OUT
Stephanie Collins tied an SMU record with six blocks, and four Mustangs scored at least 10 points, but the effort was not enough as SMU fell, 64-57, to No. 18 Arizona State Saturday afternoon at Moody Coliseum. The sophomore forward from Melbourne, Australia, joined Sarah Davis and Kendall Shead, who each had six blocks March 3, 2006, against Tulane.
SCOUTING CAL STATE FULLERTON
The Titans hold a 2-3 record five games into the season, falling to Wyoming in overtime in their last game. Cal State Fullerton finished 13-19 last season. The Titans lost four of their five starters from a year ago and brought in eight newcomers. Samantha Logan is the only returning starter and is scoring 5.6 points per game. Three freshmen are averaging at least 10 points, led by Michelle Berry's 18.6 per game.
Series History: SMU won the only meeting between the two programs, beating the Titans 75-63 in the first round of the 2011 SMU Thanksgiving Classic.
UP NEXT
SMU plays either Kansas or Northern Illinois on the second day of the tournament. The Jayhawks are 2-1, winning the first two games of the season before losing to Arizona. The Jayhawks have only five upperclassmen, all of which are juniors. Sophomore guard Lauren Aldridge leads the team with 13.7 points per game and 13 assists. The Huskies are 2-1 entering the Thanksgiving Classic. Senior Natecia Augusta, who averaged 54.2 percent from the field and led the team with 14 points per game. She also averaged seven rebounds per game last season.
EARLY SEASON DOMINANCE
Sophomore forward Alicia Froling has scored at least 10 points in each of the last five games, dating back to March 2 of last season. The Queensland, Australia, native has seven career double-doubles, including two this season. She scored 26 points with 14 rebounds against TCU, one shy of matching her career high in both categories. Froling is averaging 17.0 points and 12.3 rebounds through three games this year, both team highs.
FRESHMAN LEADER
Alicia Froling was the only Mustang to average double figures last season, leading the team with 11.5 points per game. She became the first freshman to lead the Mustangs in scoring since Janielle Dodds averaged 14.1 points per game during the 2004-05 season. Dodds averaged 15.1 points for her career, and is the all-time scoring leader at SMU with 1,861 career points. Froling also set a single-season record with 54 blocks, breaking the mark of 53 set by Sarah Davis in 2005-06. Davis also held the freshman record, posting 40 blocks in 2002-03.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
Alicia Froling represented Australia at the 2015 FIBA U19 Women's World Championships in Russia, winning a Bronze medal with the team, her second career medal at the World Championships. A native of Queensland, Australia, Froling averaged 8.1 points per game, reaching double figures twice, including a tournament-high 19 points during group play. She also averaged 6.9 rebounds per game, and shot just under 70 percent from the free throw line. Stephanie Collins also represented Australia at the 2015 World University Games.
A LONE SENIOR
Gabrielle Wilkins, the lone senior on the roster, averaged 8.4 points per game last season, second among returners, and shot 71 percent from the free throw line. She also averaged 4.8 rebound per game, and had 56 assists. Wilkins scored seven points with four rebounds Sunday, and had 10 points with four steals against TCU. The double-digit game was the 21st of her career. Wilkins is one of five Mustangs averaging at least nine points, scoring 9.3 per game with a 47.6 field goal percentage.
Morgan Bolton
Morgan Bolton led the team with 73 assists in her first season on the floor with the Mustangs. The junior guard averaged 5.9 points per game and shot 71 percent from the free throw line. Bolton was the top scorer in three games, including a season-high 13 points against Tulane and again at Memphis. The transfer from Arkansas-Little Rock also had a season-high seven assists twice, against UTEP and Florida A&M.
Stephanie Collins
Stephanie Collins joined the Mustangs after the first semester last season and played in 20 games, starting eight. She reached double digits twice, scoring a season-high 13 points at East Carolina. The 6-5 center had 25 blocks, recording four in a game three times. Collins tied the SMU single-game blocks record with six against Arizona State, matching Sarah Davis and Kendall Shead, who each had six blocks March 3, 2006, against Tulane. It was the first time an SMU player had at least five blocks since Alice Severin had five against UCF March 7, 2009. Collins is averaging 9.7 points and 5.7 rebounds.
BLOCKS RECORD
With Alicia Froling setting a single-season record with 54 blocks and Stephanie Collins recording 25 in 20 games, the Mustangs went on to set a program record with 160 blocks as a team. Raven Short and Destynee Hives-McCray, who are no longer on the team, each had 20 blocks, while Keely Froling and Gabrielle Wilkins both reached double figures. The Mustangs had six blocks in the opener and recorded five blocks against TCU.
STANDOUT NEWCOMERS
Junior guard Ashley Gibson and freshman Dai'ja Thomas are making names for themselves among first year players. Gibson, a transfer from Butler CC, is averaging 11.7 points per game and shooting 46.2 percent from behind the arc. Thomas, The American Freshman of the Week in week one, is averaging 5.3 points per game with 4.3 rebounds.
FINISHING STRONG
The Mustangs have outscored opponents 111-90 in the second half this season. The second quarter is the only quarter SMU is getting out-scored, 53-46.
OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION
The Mustangs are averaging 70.0 points per game and eclipsed 70 points in each of the first two games this season. SMU reached 70 points just twice last season, scoring a season-high 77 points against Florida A&M. Five Mustangs are averaging at least nine points, with two scoring double figures, led by Alicia Froling's 17.0 points per game. Transfer Ashley Gibson is scoring 11.7 points per game, shooting 46.2 percent from behind the arc. Stephanie Collins is scoring 9.7 points per game.
HEATING UP
McKenzie Adams scored 16 points against then-No. 18 Arizona State, making six free throws and a pair of 3-pointers. The sophomore transfer from Arkansas scored just 11 points of 4-of-24 shooting in her first two games at SMU.
A MISSING PIECE
SMU will be without Kiara Perry this season as the junior sits out with a redshirt due to a back injury. As a sophomore, Perry led the team with 39 steals and averaged 7.9 points per game. The guard shot 33 percent from the field and 64 percent from the free throw line.
25TH SEASON
Rhonda Rompola is in her 25th season as head coach of the Mustangs. The former player who spent eight years as an assistant at SMU before being named head coach, has amassed over 400 wins in 24 seasons. She led SMU to 13 postseason appearances, including seven NCAA Tournament berths. SMU has won at least 20 games in nine seasons, with three regular-season conference championships and two conference tournament championships.
