SMU Plays Northern Arizona In Thanksgiving Classic Title Game

Friday, November 23

Los Angeles, Calif.

2:30 p.m.

SMU

Robert Morris

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SMU Plays Northern Arizona In Thanksgiving Classic Title Game

Nov 22 | Women's Basketball

SMU Notes

SMU plays in the LMU Thanksgiving Classic Friday and Saturday at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles. The Mustangs open the tournament Friday against Robert Morris at 2:30 p.m. CT/12:30 p.m. PT. Saturday will see the Mustangs play either host LMU or Northern Arizona.

QUICK HITS
• SMU started the season with a pair of wins at home.
• Travis Mays is 3-0 in season openers.
• SMU's three losses are by a combined four points.
• SMU is 15-3 in home non-conference games under Coach Mays.
• Alicia Froling recorded a double-double in her first game back after missing 2017-18 due to injury.
• Froling set a program record at TCU with her 39th career double-double and has three this season.
• Froling leads the team with 13.2 ppg and 12.6 rpg.
• Freshmen Kayla White (13.0 ppg) and Amber Bacon (11.8 ppg) are both averaging double figures.

ABOUT SMU
The Mustangs have the youngest roster in the country, matching the University of Maryland Baltimore County with an average age of 19.0. Senior Alicia Froling had not played a competitive game with any player on SMU's current roster prior to this season, missing 2017-18 due to a knee injury. The squad includes seven freshmen, trailing only Wichita State and FAU.

SMU STATISTICALLY
SMU's four returning letterwinners from 2017-18, all sophomores this season, accounted for just 26.6 percent of points scored (14.9) and 24.5 percent of rebounds (10.4). Ariana Whitfield averaged 7.9 points, and Johnasia Cash averaged 5.1 points and 5.9 rebounds. Senior Alicia Froling averages 12.8 points and 9.3 rebounds for her career, and was named to the All-AAC Preseason Team despite missing all of the 2017-18 season.

SCOUTING THE FIELD
Robert Morris is 1-3 with an overtime loss in the season opener and a one-point loss at Bowling Green in its last game. Megan Callahan leads the team with 9.3 points per game.

Loyola Marymount is 3-0 with a home win against UCLA, and the Lions are outscoring opponents 68.3-61.3. Gabby Green leads the team with 25.0 points per game, but hasn't played since the opener. Chelsey Gipson and Jasmine Jones are also averaging more than 12 points.

Northern Arizona is 3-1 and averages a field-high 75.2 points per game, shooting 44.4 percent. Khiarica Rasheed averages 16.8 points and Kaleigh Paplow is scoring 16.5 per game.

POSTSEASON IN FIRST SEASON
In his first season as head coach, Travis Mays guided the Mustangs to a 19-13 record, including a pair of WNIT wins. SMU advanced to the round of 16 in the tournament with wins at home against Louisiana Tech and Abilene Christian. It was the first time since 1993 that an SMU team won twice in a postseason tournament.

ALICIA FROLING
Alicia Froling has four double-doubles in five games this season, leading the team with 13.2 points and a conference-high 12.6 rebounds per game. She has a program-record 40 career double-doubles, ranks second all-time at SMU with 947 career rebounds and is 13th at SMU with 1,279 career points. The senior was named to the Preseason All-American Athletic Conference Team despite missing 2017-18 due to injury.

SMU SINGLE SEASON DOUBLE-DOUBLES
1.   Alicia Froling (2016-17)    17
2.   Shasta Smothers-Johnson (1984-85)   15
3.   Alicia Froling (2015-16)   14

SMU CAREER DOUBLE-DOUBLES
1.   Alicia Froling (2015-Present)   40
T-2.   Shasta Smothers-Johnson (1983-87)   38
T-2.   Janielle Dodds (2005-08)   38

INDIVIDUAL SEASON REBOUNDS LIST
1.   Alicia Froling (2016-17)   339
2.   Alicia Froling (2015-16)   328
3.   Shasta Smothers-Johnson (1984-85)   310

SMU CAREER REBOUNDS
1.   Janielle Dodds (2004-08)   974
2.   Alicia Froling (2015-Present)   947
3.   Karlin Kennedy (1996-2000)   946
4.   Shasta Smothers-Johnson (1983-87)   933
5.   Teri Baldwin (1977-80)   890

READY TO PLAY
Makenzie Ellis has started four of five games played this season after sitting out the 2017-18 season due to NCAA transfer rules. She is averaging 4.2 points with 4.6 rebounds per game. The junior started all 33 games as a sophomore at Colorado, scoring at least 10 points eight times, including a career-high 18 points against then-No. 10 Washington. She averaged 6.4 points, shooting 35.7 percent from the field, and made 33-of-89 attempts from 3-point range (37.1 percent). A 6-2 forward, Makenzie tied for second on the team with 4.2 rebounds per game, including a season-high nine rebounds in a win over Washington State. She was an Academic All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention selection.

ARIANA WHITFIELD
Ariana Whitfield is averaging 7.2 points with a team-high 15 assists. She scored a season-high 10 points in the opener, and the sophomore passed out six assists at TCU. She was named to the American Athletic Conference All-Freshman Team last season after scoring 7.9 points per game with 65 assists, second on the team.

JOHNASIA CASH
Johnasia Cash scored a season-high six points twice this season and grabbed eight rebounds against Mississippi Valley State. As a freshman, she started 10 games and averaged 5.1 points with 5.9 rebounds. She had a double-double against Tulsa with season-highs in points, 18, and rebounds, 13. Cash was honored with the Jerry LeVias Outstanding Athlete Award by the SMU Association of Black Students.

MORGAN SMITH
Morgan Smith has played in four of five games this season with two rebounds, two steals and a block. As a freshman, she played in 28 of 30 games, scoring a season-high seven points against Loyola Marymount.

SAVANNAH ELLIS
Savannah Ellis is yet to play as a sophomore after competing in 10 games as a freshman. She scored five points with two rebounds against Texas A&M.

NEW KIDS ON THE HILLTOP
With seven freshmen on the 13-player roster, SMU is tied with the University of Maryland Baltimore County for the youngest team in the country with an average age of 19.0.

AMBER BACON
Amber Bacon has played in all five games with three starts. The freshman is third on the team with 11.8 points per game, shooting 41.5 percent from the field. She has scored at least 10 points three times, including a season-high 18 points to lead the team at TCU. She is second on the team with seven steals. A 5-5 guard from Grand Prairie, Texas, Bacon was named Defensive MVP in Texas 7-6A last season. She averaged 12.5 points and 3.5 assists as a junior at South Grand Prairie High School, earning All-State honors. Bacon is the No. 75 guard prospect according to ESPN and was named to the All-Region team, as well as the TGCA All-Star team. She also excels in the classroom, earning Academic All-District honors in each of her first three seasons.

ALEXIS LEGGETT
Alexis Leggett is yet to play this season. She is a 6-3 post player from Ariton High School in Ariton, Ala. Rated as the No. 38 post player by ESPN, Leggett averages 10 points and 15 rebounds per game. She has been honored with All-Region selections, as well as Offensive MVP and Defensive MVP awards. Leggett is also a four-time Honor Roll student.

PAIGE BAYLISS
Paige Bayliss, a 6-5 post player from Queensland, Australia, was a member of the 2018 U18 Australia team. She has played in five games, averaging 10.6 minutes. Scoring four against both TCU and MVSU, Bayliss has 10 points and nine total rebounds. She averaged 5.3 points and 8.1 rebounds in the 2018 U20 Australia championship for Queensland, winning a silver medal with the squad. In 2017, she was a member of the gold-medal winning Australia team at the FIBA U17 Women's Oceania Championship. She also represented Queensland in the 2017 U18 championship, and was listed as the No. 2 post prospect at the tournament by Premier Basketball Report.

MARIE OLSON
Marie Olson has played in all five games with one start, averaging 13.2 minutes. She has 11 points with a season-high four against Southeastern Louisiana, and eight rebounds. Olson was the No. 21 post prospect according to ESPN. A standout at Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado Hills, Calif., Olson averaged 10.1 points as a junior, leading her team to the regional finals in the state tournament. She has been named to the All-Conference team, served as a team captain, and was named Most Valuable Offensive Player.

BRISHONNE TOLLIE
Brishonne Tollie has played in five games with one start, averaging 11.0 minutes. She scored 13 of her 15 points against MVSU, playing 24 minutes. She also had a season-high seven rebounds in the game. Tollie is a 6-2 post player from Bartow, Fla. During her junior season, she averaged 18.0 points and 11.9 rebounds, leading her team to the regional quarterfinals of the state tournament. As a freshman, she was named Player of the Year at Montverde Academy, averaging 13.5 points and leading the team in rebounds with 7.0 per game. It was her first of three MVP awards as Tollie led her team in both scoring and rebounding each season.

JAQUIA WHITE
JaQuia White started the first game of the season, grabbing two rebounds in 16 minutes before suffering an injury. She is yet to return to action. Along with her cousin, Kayla White, Jaquia led DeSoto to the third round of the state playoffs. In addition to her on court ability, She also excels in the classroom as a member of the National Honor Society.

KAYLA WHITE
Kayla White is second on the team with 13.0 points per game, scoring at least 10 in each of the last four games. She scored a season-high 19 against MVSU, and is one of three players and the only freshman to start all five games for the Mustangs. A, a 5-10 shooting guard, White averaged 13.7 points per game last season, earning All-District honors. She also excels in the classroom and was a member of the National Honor Society. Along with her cousin, JaQuia White, Kayla led DeSoto to the third round of the state playoffs.

SIGNING DAY
Reagan Bradley signed to play basketball at SMU in 2019-20. The Little Rock, Ark., standout guard earned all-state awards each of her first three seasons, averaging 16.2 points and 6.6 rebounds for her career.
As a junior at Little Rock Christian Academy, Bradley scored 17.6 points, shooting 43.6 percent, with 5.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. The Warriors finished with a 28-3 record, winning the conference championship and advancing to the quarterfinals of the state tournament. Bradley scored 29 points to lead LRCA in the conference championship game, and finished with a career-high 35 points earlier in the season.