SMU (8-17, 2-10 American) vs. Temple (9-15, 5-6 American)
Moody Coliseum – Dallas, Texas
Feb. 20, 2019 – 7 pm
TV: American Digital Network | Radio: KAAM 770 AM | Live Stats

SMU plays two of its next three games at home, starting Wednesday against Temple in Moody Coliseum at 7 p.m. on the American Digital Network. 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 beat USF for the first time in program history.
• Alicia Froling tied the SMU single-game record with seven blocks in a win against the Shockers.
• Froling is the career leader at SMU in rebounds (1,125), blocks (200) and double-doubles (45).
• Kayla White scored a career-high 22 points at Rice.
• Froling and Cash had double-doubles at UConn.
• Marie Olson scored a season-high 13 at Tulsa.

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 is second in the conference and 43rd in the NCAA in rebounding (9.6) and leads the league in blocks (2.1). She is 20th in points with 10.8 per game, while freshman Kayla White is 18th with a team-high 11.4 points per game. The Mustangs are fifth in the league and 49th in the NCAA in field goal defense (.367), and second the conference and 23rd in the NCAA in rebounding (42.3). SMU leads the league with 4.3 blocks per game, ranking 58th in the nation.

HARD KNOCKS
SMU has five losses by a combined six 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. Houston scored with five seconds left in overtime for a one-point win at home, 69-68.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Temple is 9-15 overall, 5-6 in The American, winning five of its last six games, with the only loss coming at Connecticut. Mia Davis leads the team with 19.3 points per game, and Alliya Butts averages 15.7 points after missing last season due to injury. Butts leads the team with 44 made 3-point field goals. As a team, the Owls are averaging 65.8 points while opponents are scoring 67.9 per game. 
 
SERIES HISTORY
SMU is 3-6 all-time against Temple, but 3-1 against the Owls in Moody Coliseum. Each team won on its home floor last season. The Mustangs lost by three, 55-52 in Philadelphia on Jan. 7 before winning 60-56 on Jan. 31 in Dallas. Temple won the first meeting in the series, 80-66, on Jan. 14, 2014. SMU then won, 85-75, at home on Feb. 1, 2014. The only road team to win was Temple with a 55-39 victory on Feb. 25, 2015.

UP NEXT
SMU plays two of the last three regular-season games on the road, starting at Tulane on Feb. 24. Senior Day is scheduled for March 2 against Memphis at 2 p.m. The Mustangs play at East Carolina in the regular-season finale on March 4.

ALICIA FROLING
Alicia Froling holds the all-time record at SMU in rebounds (1,125) and blocks (200). She passed Janielle Dodds with her 975th rebound against North Texas, and posted her 181st block against Tulane to pass Sarah Davis. Froling is fourth at SMU in scoring with 1,482 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. 

SMU CAREER REBOUNDS
1.    Alicia Froling (2015-Present)    1125
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.    Alicia Froling (2015-Present)    1482
5.    Shanell Thomas (1990-93)    1480
6.    Kim Brandl (1994-97)    1458
7.    Brittany Gilliam (2006-10)    1455
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)    200
2.    Sarah Davis (2003-06)    180
3.    Stephanie Collins (2015-18)    158

Makenzie Ellis
Makenzie Ellis has started 11 of 24 games played this season after sitting out the 2017-18 season due to NCAA transfer rules. She is averaging 3.4 points with 4.2 rebounds per game. Ellis scored a season-high eight points against Robert Morris, and grabbed seven rebounds twice. Ellis 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). 

ARIANA WHITFIELD
Ariana Whitfield is averaging 6.6 points with a team-high 83 assists. She scored a season-high 16 points in the  win against North Texas, and the  sophomore  passed out seven assists at ECU, matching her career high. She scored 11 points at Northern Colorado and against Wichita State, and finished with 10 in the season opener against Louisiana Monroe and against ECU. 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, and had 13 points with eight rebounds at Houston. She scored 12 points with 12 rebounds at No. 3 UConn, and finished with 11 points and seven rebounds against ECU. She matched her career-high with 13 rebounds against Northern Arizona. She is second on the team with 6.6 rebounds per game, and averages 7.4 rebounds in conference games, ninth in the league, with 7.6 points. 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 (8-17)    19.0
1.    UMBC (8-17)    19.0
1.    Boston College (14-12)    19.0
4.    Oklahoma (6-18)    19.1 
4.    Georgia Tech (16-9)    19.1 
6.    Wichita State (11-13)    19.2

MOST FRESHMEN
1.    Wichita State (11-13)    8 
1.    FAU (5-21)    8
1.    Boston College (14-12)    8
3.    SMU (8-17)    7
3.    Oklahoma (6-18)    7
3.    Vermont (10-15)    7

AMBER BACON
Amber Bacon has played in 17 of 25 games, missing the last eight 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. 

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 23 games, averaging 10.2 minutes. Bayliss has 58 points and 51 total rebounds, scoring a season-high eight points against UCF, making 6-of-8 from the free-throw line. She also scored six each in a stretch of three games earlier this season. She grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds at Tulsa. 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 25 games  with  10 starts, including nine conference games, averaging 16.2 minutes.  She  has  82  points  with a season-high 13 points to lead SMU at Tulsa. The 6-of-10 shooting performance came on the heels of a 12-point game at Houston. In conference games, she is 10-of-37 on 3-point attempts and averages 5.3 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 25 games with seven starts, averaging 11.5 minutes. She scored 13 of her 87 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, and scored nine at Houston with three 3-pointers. 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 21 games total this season, averaging 17.5 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 averages a team-high 11.4 points per game, 18th in The American. The freshman has scored at least 10 in 18 games, including seven of the last 10. In conference games, White is averaging a team-best 10.2 points, scoring 18 at Houston and 16 against Wichita State. She has scored at least 15 in three of the last nine conference games, leading SMU with 14 at Wichita State. White 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.