SMU faces Houston Wednesday night at 7 p.m. on the American Digital Network in the first home game of the conference schedule. Fans in the Dallas area can listen on KAAM 770 AM. The contest is the first of three straight home games for the Mustangs. 

QUICK HITS
• The Mustangs won the LMU Thanksgiving Classic.
• SMU outscored NAU 20-0 in the 4th quarter at LMU.
• SMU has four losses by a combined five points.
• SMU is 25-13 at home under Coach Mays.
• Alicia Froling recorded a double-double in her first game back after missing 2017-18 due to injury.
• Froling holds the SMU record in rebounds (1,044).
• Froling set a program record at TCU with her 39th career double-double and has five this season.
• Froling leads the team with 12.5 ppg and 11.4 rpg.
• Freshman Kayla White averages 12.1 points.
• White scored a career-high 22 points at Rice.

ABOUT SMU
The Mustangs started the season with the youngest roster in the country, matching the University of Maryland Baltimore County with an average age of 19.0. The squad includes seven freshmen, trailing only Wichita State and FAU.
Senior Alicia Froling leads the team in scoring (12.5) and the conference in rebounding (11.4), while freshman Kayla White averages double digits scoring (12.1). The Mustangs are fifth in the league in field goal defense (.359), and rebounding (42.6), while leading the conference in blocks (4.5).

HARD KNOCKS
SMU is 6-8 overall this season, losing four games by a combined five points. The Mustangs lost by one, 62-61, in overtime against Alabama. The first road game had SMU coming up two points short at TCU, 65-63, and then a 63-62 defeat at home against Southeastern Louisiana. Another one-point road loss came when SMU lost 58-57 at Northern Colorado when the Bears took the lead with four seconds left. 

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Houston is 6-8 after a conference-opening loss to Connecticut, 81-61. The Cougars are 1-3 in overtime this season, with two games going to double overtime. Jasmyne Harris leads the team with 16.2 points per game, and Houston averages 72.9 points per game. Opponents also average 72.9 points, with five opponents eclipsing 80, including Louisiana Tech, which won 100-88 in double overtime. Houston defeated Georgia Tech, 95-89, in double overtime.
 
SERIES HISTORY
SMU is 25-34 all-time against Houston, with a 13-18 record in Moody Coliseum, including a 2-1 record in the Southwest Conference tournament. The Cougars won the last two games in the series, including an 85-75 victory in Dallas in the conference opener last season. The Cougars also won at home, 60-56. SMU swept the season series 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 25-14 since the 1991-92 season. 

ALICIA FROLING
Alicia Froling became the first 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. With her 10th rebound against North Texas, Alicia Froling broke Janielle Dodds' SMU career rebounds record with 975. She is eighth in program history with 1,388 points. The Queensland, Australia, native has a program-record 43 double-doubles, and ranks second in blocks with 179. This season, she leads the conference in rebounds (11.4) and blocks (2.2), and ranks 17th in scoring (12.5). 

SMU CAREER REBOUNDS
1.    Alicia Froling (2015-Present)    1044
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.    Shasta Smothers-Johnson (1983-87)    1426
8.    Alicia Froling (2015-Present)    1388

SMU CAREER DOUBLE-DOUBLES
1.    Alicia Froling (2015-Present)    43
T-2.    Shasta Smothers-Johnson (1983-87)    38
T-2.    Janielle Dodds (2005-08)    38

SMU CAREER BLOCKS
1.    Sarah Davis (2003-06)    180
2.    Alicia Froling (2015-Present)    179
3.    Stephanie Collins (2015-18)    158

READY TO PLAY
Makenzie Ellis has started 11 of 14 games played this season after sitting out the 2017-18 season due to NCAA transfer rules. She is averaging 3.3 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 7.2 points with a team-high 50 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 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 nine points against North Texas and against against CSU Bakersfield. She grabbed 13 rebounds against Northern Arizona, including eight in the fourth quarter. She is second on the team with 5.9 rebounds per game. 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.

NEW KIDS ON THE HILLTOP
With seven freshmen on the 12-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.

YOUNGEST AVERAGE AGE
1.    SMU (6-8)    19.0
1.    UMBC (7-7)    19.0
3.    Oklahoma (5-8)    19.1 
3.    Georgia Tech (11-4)    19.1 
5.    Wichita State (7-7)    19.2

MOST FRESHMEN
1.    Wichita State (7-7)    8 
1.    FAU (3-12)    8
3.    SMU (6-8)    7
3.    Oklahoma (5-8)    7
3.    Vermont (5-9)    7

AMBER BACON
Amber Bacon has played in all 14 games with 11 starts. The freshman is third on the team with 9.3 points per game. She has scored at least 10 points seven 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 leads the team with 24 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. She also excels in the classroom, earning Academic All-District honors in each of her first three seasons.

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 14 games, averaging 9.6 minutes. Bayliss has 32 points and 27 total rebounds, scoring six points each in a stretch of three games earlier this season. 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 14 games  with  one start, averaging 9.6 minutes.  She  has  26  points  with a season-high seven at  Cincinnati,  and 19 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 14 games with two starts, averaging 9.5 minutes. She scored 13 of her 47 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 10 games total this season, averaging 16.1 minutes. She scored a season-high 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 second on the team and 19th in The American with 12.1 points per game, scoring at least 10 in 10 games, including six of the last seven. 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.