SMU (8-12, 2-5 American) at Houston (10-10, 4-3 American)
Fertitta Center – Houston, Texas
Feb. 2, 2019 – 2 pm  
Video: Cougars All-Access | Radio: KAAM 770 AM | Live Stats

SMU plays at Houston Saturday at 2 p.m., its third road contest in the last four games. The Mustangs won two of the last four conference games, with both losses coming on the road to teams ranked or receiving votes. Fans in the Dallas area can listen to the broadcast on KAAM 770 AM.    

QUICK HITS
• The Mustangs won the LMU Thanksgiving Classic.
• SMU outscored NAU 20-0 in the 4th quarter at LMU.
• SMU scored a season-high 78 points in a win against Wichita State. 
• SMU defeated USF for the first time in program history, its second straight home conference win.
• Alicia Froling tied the SMU single-game record with seven blocks against the Shockers.
• Froling is the career leader at SMU in rebounds (1,081), blocks (191) and double-doubles (45).
• Froling has nine double-doubles this season.
• Kayla White scored a career-high 22 points at Rice.
• Johnasia Cash had 14 points-12 rebounds against Houston for her first double-double this season.
• Froling and Cash had double-doubles at UConn.

ABOUT SMU
The Mustangs started the season with the youngest roster in the country, matching the University of Maryland Baltimore County and now Boston College with an average age of 19.0. The squad includes seven freshmen.
Senior Alicia Froling leads the conference in rebounding (10.2) and blocks (2.2), and is 18th in scoring with a team-high 11.7 points per game. Freshman Kayla White is 19th in the league in scoring (11.5). The Mustangs are fifth in the league in field goal defense (.363), and second in rebounding (42.7), while leading the conference in blocks (4.4).

HARD KNOCKS
SMU is 8-12 overall this season, losing four games by a combined five points. 62-61 in overtime against Alabama, followed by a 65-63 deficit at TCU. A 63-62 loss to Southeastern Louisiana made it three straight, and SMU lost, 58-57, at Northern Colorado. 

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Houston is 10-10 overall, 4-3 in The American, but the Cougars are just 3-5 at home. Leading scorer Jasmyne Harris (16.2 ppg) hasn't played since the conference opener, but Houston is 4-2 in her absence. Angela Harris leads active players with 10.1 points per game. As a team, Houston scores 71.3 points with a 40.7 shooting percentage, and 66.6 points in conference games, second in the league.
 
SERIES HISTORY
SMU is 25-35 all-time against Houston, with a 12-15 record on the road. The Cougars won the last three games in the series, including a 71-62 victory in Dallas in the conference home opener this season. The Cougars swept the season series after an SMU sweep in 2017. The two programs first met on Jan. 13, 1981, with Houston winning 77-71 in Dallas. Houston won the first 20 games in the series. SMU is 25-15 since the 1991-92 season. 

UP NEXT
SMU plays at Tulsa Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Mustangs next home game is Feb. 9 against UCF at 2 p.m. on ESPN3. The contest against the Knights starts a stretch of four out of the next six games at home. 

ALICIA FROLING
Alicia Froling holds the all-time record at SMU in rebounds (1,088) and blocks (192). She passed Janielle Dodds with her 975th rebound against North Texas, and posted her 181st block against Tulane to pass Sarah Davis. Froling is seventh at SMU in scoring with 1,446 points. 
She is the only women's player at SMU with 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, grabbing her 1,000th rebound against CSU Bakersfield. The senior joins men's players Jon Koncak and Ira Terrell as the only Mustangs to reach the milestone. 
This season, she leads the conference and is 32nd in the NCAA in rebounds (10.4). She also leads the league in blocks (2.3) and is 19th in scoring (11.8). 

SMU CAREER REBOUNDS
1.    Alicia Froling (2015-Present)    1088
2.    Janielle Dodds (2004-08)    974
3.    Karlin Kennedy (1996-2000)    946
4.    Shasta Smothers-Johnson (1983-87)    933
5.    Teri Baldwin (1977-80)    890

SMU CAREER POINTS
1.    Janielle Dodds (2004-08)    1861
2.    Karlin Kennedy (1996-2000)    1785
3.    Kerri Delaney (1992-96    1503
4.    Shanell Thomas (1990-93)    1480
5.    Kim Brandl (1994-97)    1458
6.    Brittany Gilliam (2006-10)    1455
7.    Alicia Froling (2015-Present)    1446
8.    Shasta Smothers-Johnson (1983-87)    1426

SMU CAREER DOUBLE-DOUBLES
1.    Alicia Froling (2015-Present)    45
T-2.    Shasta Smothers-Johnson (1983-87)    38
T-2.    Janielle Dodds (2005-08)    38

SMU CAREER BLOCKS
1.    Alicia Froling (2015-Present)    192
2.    Sarah Davis (2003-06)    180
3.    Stephanie Collins (2015-18)    158

READY TO PLAY
Makenzie Ellis has started 11 of 19 games played this season after sitting out the 2017-18 season due to NCAA transfer rules. She is averaging 3.2 points with 4.4 rebounds per game. Ellis scored a season-high eight points against Robert Morris, and grabbed seven rebounds twice. 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, Ellis 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 6.9 points with a team-high 69 assists. She scored a season-high 16 points in the  win against North Texas, and the  sophomore  passed out six assists at TCU. She scored 11 points at Northern Colorado and against Wichita State, and finished with 10 in the season opener against Louisiana Monroe. 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 14 points with 12 rebounds against Houston for her first double-double of the season. She scored 12 points with 12 rebounds at No. 3 UConn, and had nine points each against North Texas and CSU Bakersfield. She matched her career-high with 13 rebounds against Northern Arizona. She is second on the team with 7.1 rebounds per game, and averages a team-best 9.3 rebounds in conference games, third in the league. As a freshman, she started 10 games and averaged 5.1 points with 5.9 rebounds. Cash was honored with the Jerry LeVias Outstanding Athlete Award by the SMU Association of Black Students as a freshman.

NEW KIDS ON THE HILLTOP
With seven freshmen on the 11-player roster, SMU was  tied with the University of Maryland Baltimore County for the youngest team in the country at the start of the season with an average age of 19.0.

YOUNGEST AVERAGE AGE
1.    SMU (8-12)    19.0
1.    UMBC (8-13)    19.0
1.    Boston College (13-7)    19.0
4.    Oklahoma (5-14)    19.1 
4.    Georgia Tech (13-7)    19.1 
6.    Wichita State (9-11)    19.2

MOST FRESHMEN
1.    Wichita State (9-11)    8 
1.    FAU (4-16)    8
1.    Boston College (13-7)    8
3.    SMU (8-12)    7
3.    Oklahoma (5-14)    7
3.    Vermont (8-12)    7

AMBER BACON
Amber Bacon has played in 17 of 20 games, missing the last three with injury. The freshman is third on the team with 8.9 points per game. She has scored at least 10 points eight times, including a season-high 18 points to lead the team at TCU. She was named to the LMU Thanksgiving Classic All-Tournament team, scoring 20 points with five rebounds, eight assists and six steals in two wins. She is tied for the team lead with 27 steals overall.
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. 

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 19 games, averaging 9.4 minutes. Bayliss has 45 points and 34 total rebounds, scoring six points each in a stretch of three games earlier this season. She scored five points with a season-high five rebounds against Wichita State. Bayliss 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.
 
MARIE OLSON
Marie Olson has played in all 20 games  with  five starts, averaging 12.2 minutes.  She  has  48  points  with a season-high seven at  Cincinnati, and against Wichita State and USF. In conference games, she is 6-of-12 on 3-point attempts and averaged 4.1 points. 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 20 games with six starts, averaging 10.0 minutes. She scored 13 of her 58 points against MVSU, and reached double figures again with a team-high 12 at Cincinnati.  She  also  had a season-high seven rebound against MVSU. Against Oklahoma, she finished with nine points and five rebounds in 18 minutes. 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 returned for the LMU Thanksgiving Classic, playing in both games. She scored seven points with   five rebounds in the two games, averaging 23.5 minutes during the tournament. She has played in 16 games total this season, averaging 16.8 minutes. She scored a season-high seven points against Wichita State and had six points against Oklahoma. 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 19th in The American with 11.5 points per game. The freshman has scored at least 10 in 14 games, including 10 of the last 13. In conference games, White is averaging a team-best 9.7 points, scoring 16 against Wichita State. She scored a season-high 22 against Rice. 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.