(Top Photo: Kristen Grant)

By: Victoria White

    Playing under the Moody Coliseum lights for the last time this Saturday, a new memory will be made as Makenzie Ellis and Alicia Froling take to the court for a 2 p.m. tip facing Memphis.

    Capping off their senior careers, the two contemplated their best moments at Moody.

    "I think my [best] memory is probably [from] my junior year," Froling said. "We had a really good season, and I know we were undefeated in non-conference play in Moody, and our big win was against Texas A&M who were ranked like No. 19 or 20 at the time." 
    "So that was really good," Froling said. "We were winning, and we beat a ranked team."
 

    The 6-3 forward from Queensland, Australia, has been on The Hilltop for five years and has seen a lot during her time on the roster.
 

    "It's a bit weird," Froling said, about approaching her final home game. "I think it kind of feels like any other game day. I don't think it's really sunk in. I've been here for so long, it just feels so normal that I don't think I've realized that this is the last time I'll actually play here. But, I'm excited. My parents and my grandma are here from Australia, and it'll be the second game my mom and dad have seen, the first game my grandma's seen of my career, so that's pretty exciting."

   Ellis, too, is excited. Her mindset on Senior Day centers on gratefully embracing the game and striving to clinch another win in The American.
 

    "Pure excitement," Ellis said, on her feeling going into game day. "I want to take all the emotions and all of that coming in and really just channel it to bringing pure energy and excitement for this team. I want to cherish each game. This is my last home game, so I want to just really embrace it, live in the moment and also come out with the win."
 

    What she treasures most and will take with her from her time at SMU is the friendships and camaraderie created through the shared love of the game.
 

    "The best thing I think is just the relationships that I've created, having new teammates that are going to be friends for life, people that I can ten years down the road still meet up with," Ellis said. "That they're going to be my best friends and be sisters that I have forever, I think those are the moments that I really cherish, as well as all the ups and downs that I've had with them."
 
    When asked if she had any favorite memories or funny stories with girls on the team, Froling answered candidly.

    "Oh my gosh yeah, I think there's a lot," she said with a smile. "Especially you accumulate a lot over five years, so it's kind of crazy. I've seen a lot of teammates, two different coaching staffs so I can't even pick out one thing because there's been so much."
 

    Froling also revealed some of her favorite aspects of playing for the Ponies.

    "You're in an awesome place. You've got great facilities. You've got great people around you," Froling said. "It's just fun. It's a good school. It's kind of the best of everything."
 

    What makes Ellis proud to wear the Red & Blue and be a Mustang is all the current and past Mustangs that have gone before her.

    "It's honestly the people. It's the fans that walk up in here and they tell me that they've been season ticket holders for many years. The people that come back, this is their alma mater and they're so proud to wear it," Ellis said. "I want to exude what they exude. I want to be someone that they come back and their proud of the school that they left, the legacy that they left."
 

    After graduation, the 6-2 forward from Tulsa, Oklahoma, appreciates the lessons learned at SMU and ultimately, wants to continue a career in basketball.
 

    "I want to be a graduate assistant. I want to be a coach in the future, so that's my next step," Ellis said. "I still want to get my master's degree in sport coaching or something along those lines and learn from another coaching staff. I've learned so much from this one, and I just want to increase my knowledge, increase my network and [be] on the path to a field that I want to get into."

    The two senior leaders similarly share a deep love of the game that has inspired them to seek opportunities in the sport, post-graduation.
 

    Froling will pursue various professional options and continue playing basketball on the world's stage.
 
    "I want to play pro. I don't know where in the world that will be. I'm kind of willing to go wherever it'll take me," Froling said. "Obviously, I have opportunities in Australia, but I'm willing to explore opportunities elsewhere, in America, in Europe. So I really don't know where I'm going to be. It's just going to depend on what fits well with me and what happens."

    Although still deciding on the next step in her adventure, at this point in her life, Froling says she simply can't see herself doing anything else.
 

    "I just really love it. I mean you can get paid for playing a game you love and traveling the world," Froling said, on why she wants to play professionally. "Like I can't see myself sitting at a desk or doing something like that, especially while I'm young and I have the ability while I'm healthy. I mean you're not making millions like the men, but you can still make a decent amount of money and that's pretty cool."