Sunday, January 5
Dallas, Texas
3 p.m.
SMU
vs
No. 1 Connecticut
Photo by: George Walker/DFWsportsonline
SMU Hosts No. 1 Connecticut Sunday At 3 P.M.
Jan 3 | Women's Basketball
SMU (6-6, 0-0 AAC) vs. No. 1 Connecticut (11-0, 2-0 AAC)
Jan. 5, 2020 – 3 p.m.
Dallas, Texas | Moody Coliseum
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The SMU women's basketball team will take on No. 1 Connecticut for the final time in a regular-season conference matchup Sunday in Moody Coliseum at 3 p.m. This is the 11th time the two programs have played a conference game against each other, and the sixth time UConn has played in Moody Coliseum.
TEAM NOTES
• SMU set the Moody Coliseum record with 64 rebounds against North Dakota. The mark is tied for second in a game all-time at SMU (64 Feb. 19, 1998 at TCU; Record is 69 on Dec. 1, 1984).
• SMU averages 44.3 rebounds per game, 20th in the NCAA and second in The American.Â
• SMU is 28th in the NCAA and second in The American in field-goal defense, holding opponents to 34.8 percent from the field.Â
• SMU has held its opponent to 60 points or less seven times, with a 5-2 record in those games. SMU is 60th in the NCAA and fourth in The American in scoring defense, allowing 58.2 points per game.Â
LAST TIME OUT
• SMU suffered its second one-point loss of the season with a 59-58 defeat against George Mason. Freshman Reagan Bradley scored a season-high 18 points to lead the Mustangs, and Kayla White finished with 17. George Mason took the lead with 16 seconds left, but the Mustangs were unable to make a game winner at the buzzer.Â
NEXT ON THE SLATE
• SMU will play three of its next four games on the road. The Mustangs start the stretch at ECU Wednesday and at Temple Saturday before returning home to face Tulane on Jan. 15.
AT HOME
• SMU won three of its last four home games, and the Mustangs have held seven of nine opponents to 60 or fewer points in Moody Coliseum. Two of the home losses were one-point games, and SMU is outscoring opponents 158-122 in the fourth quarter at home.
JOHNASIA CASH
Johnasia Cash is nearly averaging a double-double with a team-best 10.7 points, 21st in The American, and ranks fourth in the conference with 9.6 rebounds per game. She posted season-highs with 18 points and 16 rebounds against North Dakota. Â Cash tops the team and is third in the league in blocks with 23, averaging 1.9 per game. She posted four-block nights against Wright State and North Dakota. Cash ranks 49th in the NCAA in rebounds per game, 50th in blocks per game, and 25th in double-doubles with six, including five of the last seven games. Â
REAGAN BRADLEY
Reagan Bradley scored 13 points in her collegiate debut. She has games with nine, eight and seven assists, ranking second, third and tied for fourth by a freshman in a game at SMU. With as season-high nine assists against UTEP, Bradley tied for 16th in a game at SMU (SINGLE-GAME RECORD IS 11). She has six games with at least five assists, including four of the last five games. She averages 4.9 assists per game, 50th in the NCAA and first in The American. Bradley is scoring 9.9 points per game, third on the team and 29th in the American. She is shooting 36.4 percent from the field and averages 5.3 rebounds, third on the team. With 59 assists, she needs 36 to tie the SMU freshman record (95 in 1982-83 by Tomi Hollis). She scored a season-high 18 points against George Mason and has scored at least 10 seven times, including each of the last four games.Â
KAYLA WHITE
Kayla White scored 21 points against Wright State, including 15 in the second half, and followed it up with a 22-point performance against North Dakota. She is second on the team and ranks 28th in The American with 10.0 points per game as a sophomore. After three games with less than 10 points, White returned to form with an 8-for-10 shooting clip to finish with 17 points against George Mason. She averages 4.8 rebounds, and grabbed a season-high nine against North Dakota.Â
BRISHONNE TOLLIE
Brishonne Tollie is fifth on the team with 8.2 points per game, shooting 36.8 percent from the field. She is averaging 7.8 rebounds and is third on the team with 16 steals. She scored at least 10 in five of the first seven games, including a career-high 19 points against Rice. Last season, she averaged 3.6 points per game, shooting 35.4 percent from the field. She also averaged 2.8 rebounds and had 19 steals.
PAIGE BAYLISS
Paige Bayliss is averaging 56.3 points per game and shooting 50.7 percent from the floor. She scored a season-high 14 points  with a career-high 10 rebounds against UC Irvine for her first double-double. She reached double digits again versus George Mason, finishing with 11 points. The Australian scored at least 10 points in each of the last three games last season, including a career-high 15 in a conference tournament loss that ended the season. She is pulling down 4.1 rebounds per game, and averaged 6.0 over the last five games.Â
AMBER BACON
Amber Bacon is fourth on the team with 8.8 points per game this season. She reached double digits six times, including a season-high 16 points against CSUN. She averages 4.0 rebounds per game, and leads the team with 25 steals, ranking sixth in The American with 2.1 per game. Bacon is hitting a team-best 73.5 percent from the free-throw line, 10th in the league, and is second on the team with 40 assists. She passed out six assists against McNeese and Wright State, and had four steals against both CSUN (Cal State Northridge) and UTEP.Â
JAQUIA WHITE
JaQuia White is averaging 5.7 points per game, reaching double figures twice. She scored a career-high 13 points against McNeese, and scored at least seven points (2018-19's season high) in each of the last four games. The stretch started with a 12-point performance against UTEP with a career-high five field goals, including 2-of-2 from behind the arc. White leads the SMU guards and is third on the team with a 37.3 shooting percentage. She leads the team outside the arc, going 10-for-26 (38.5 percent) on 3-point attempts, including 6-of-9 over the last four games.
ARIANA WHITFIELD
Ariana Whitfield scored a season-high nine points in the opening win against McNeese. Last season, she led the team with 98 assists, while averaging 7.1 points per game. Whitfield scored a career-high 24 points in a win at Tulane, and handed out nine assists against Robert Morris, also a career high. Whitfield scored at least 10 points seven times last season.
SIGNING DAY
Three-time state champion Rhyle McKinney, all-state guard Tamia Jones and point guard Jayla Brooks, the 2018-19 District 10-6A Offensive Player of the Year, make up the SMU 2020 freshman class.
RHYLE McKINNEY
McKinney averaged 23.9 points with 4.3 rebounds and 2.9 steals as a junior. She was named Texas Class 1A-4A Player of the Year by the Texas Girls Coaches Association after leading Argyle to a 32-7 record, which included the program's fifth consecutive Class 4A state championship. McKinney was named to the all-state, all-area and all-district teams.
TAMIA JONES
Jones was named to the all-state team after a stellar year at The Colony High School, where she led her team to the Class 5A Region I semifinals. She scored 14 points in a 68-66 loss to eventual state champion Amarillo, averaging 16.2 points and 4.7 assists for the season.
JAYLA BROOKS
As a junior, Brooks led Sachse to the Texas 6A Region II quarterfinals before a one-point loss to eventual state semifinalist Allen, 49-48. She is a three-time first-team all-district selection. During her sophomore year, Brooks led Sachse to one of the most prolific comeback wins in program history. Trailing Pflugerville Hendrickson 27-4 in the second quarter of the 2018 Class 6A Region II semifinal, Brooks aided in the comeback to send Sachse to just its second region final in school history.
YOUTH GAINS EXPERIENCE
• SMU returns three starters and seven total letterwinners from last season's squad, which was one of the two youngest teams in the country based on average age. This season's returners accounted for more than half of the minutes played a year ago, with the three starters averaging at least 29 minutes.Â
RECRUITING YOUNG STARS
• Two seasons ago, Ariana Whitfield, a member of Travis Mays' first signing class, was named to the conference all-freshman team. Last season, Kayla White earned the honor after leading SMU with 11.4 points. This season, Mays added Arkansas Player of the Year and state champion Reagan Bradley.
MOODY MAGIC
• SMU is 378-237 at home all-time. Travis Mays has led the Mustangs to a 33-20 record in Moody Coliseum, winning 62 percent of home games.Â
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Jan. 5, 2020 – 3 p.m.
Dallas, Texas | Moody Coliseum
ESPN3/SNY | Live Stats | Radio
SMU Notes
SMU Social Apps
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
SMU Mobile App
Apple | Google Play
The SMU women's basketball team will take on No. 1 Connecticut for the final time in a regular-season conference matchup Sunday in Moody Coliseum at 3 p.m. This is the 11th time the two programs have played a conference game against each other, and the sixth time UConn has played in Moody Coliseum.
TEAM NOTES
• SMU set the Moody Coliseum record with 64 rebounds against North Dakota. The mark is tied for second in a game all-time at SMU (64 Feb. 19, 1998 at TCU; Record is 69 on Dec. 1, 1984).
• SMU averages 44.3 rebounds per game, 20th in the NCAA and second in The American.Â
• SMU is 28th in the NCAA and second in The American in field-goal defense, holding opponents to 34.8 percent from the field.Â
• SMU has held its opponent to 60 points or less seven times, with a 5-2 record in those games. SMU is 60th in the NCAA and fourth in The American in scoring defense, allowing 58.2 points per game.Â
LAST TIME OUT
• SMU suffered its second one-point loss of the season with a 59-58 defeat against George Mason. Freshman Reagan Bradley scored a season-high 18 points to lead the Mustangs, and Kayla White finished with 17. George Mason took the lead with 16 seconds left, but the Mustangs were unable to make a game winner at the buzzer.Â
NEXT ON THE SLATE
• SMU will play three of its next four games on the road. The Mustangs start the stretch at ECU Wednesday and at Temple Saturday before returning home to face Tulane on Jan. 15.
AT HOME
• SMU won three of its last four home games, and the Mustangs have held seven of nine opponents to 60 or fewer points in Moody Coliseum. Two of the home losses were one-point games, and SMU is outscoring opponents 158-122 in the fourth quarter at home.
JOHNASIA CASH
Johnasia Cash is nearly averaging a double-double with a team-best 10.7 points, 21st in The American, and ranks fourth in the conference with 9.6 rebounds per game. She posted season-highs with 18 points and 16 rebounds against North Dakota. Â Cash tops the team and is third in the league in blocks with 23, averaging 1.9 per game. She posted four-block nights against Wright State and North Dakota. Cash ranks 49th in the NCAA in rebounds per game, 50th in blocks per game, and 25th in double-doubles with six, including five of the last seven games. Â
REAGAN BRADLEY
Reagan Bradley scored 13 points in her collegiate debut. She has games with nine, eight and seven assists, ranking second, third and tied for fourth by a freshman in a game at SMU. With as season-high nine assists against UTEP, Bradley tied for 16th in a game at SMU (SINGLE-GAME RECORD IS 11). She has six games with at least five assists, including four of the last five games. She averages 4.9 assists per game, 50th in the NCAA and first in The American. Bradley is scoring 9.9 points per game, third on the team and 29th in the American. She is shooting 36.4 percent from the field and averages 5.3 rebounds, third on the team. With 59 assists, she needs 36 to tie the SMU freshman record (95 in 1982-83 by Tomi Hollis). She scored a season-high 18 points against George Mason and has scored at least 10 seven times, including each of the last four games.Â
KAYLA WHITE
Kayla White scored 21 points against Wright State, including 15 in the second half, and followed it up with a 22-point performance against North Dakota. She is second on the team and ranks 28th in The American with 10.0 points per game as a sophomore. After three games with less than 10 points, White returned to form with an 8-for-10 shooting clip to finish with 17 points against George Mason. She averages 4.8 rebounds, and grabbed a season-high nine against North Dakota.Â
BRISHONNE TOLLIE
Brishonne Tollie is fifth on the team with 8.2 points per game, shooting 36.8 percent from the field. She is averaging 7.8 rebounds and is third on the team with 16 steals. She scored at least 10 in five of the first seven games, including a career-high 19 points against Rice. Last season, she averaged 3.6 points per game, shooting 35.4 percent from the field. She also averaged 2.8 rebounds and had 19 steals.
PAIGE BAYLISS
Paige Bayliss is averaging 56.3 points per game and shooting 50.7 percent from the floor. She scored a season-high 14 points  with a career-high 10 rebounds against UC Irvine for her first double-double. She reached double digits again versus George Mason, finishing with 11 points. The Australian scored at least 10 points in each of the last three games last season, including a career-high 15 in a conference tournament loss that ended the season. She is pulling down 4.1 rebounds per game, and averaged 6.0 over the last five games.Â
AMBER BACON
Amber Bacon is fourth on the team with 8.8 points per game this season. She reached double digits six times, including a season-high 16 points against CSUN. She averages 4.0 rebounds per game, and leads the team with 25 steals, ranking sixth in The American with 2.1 per game. Bacon is hitting a team-best 73.5 percent from the free-throw line, 10th in the league, and is second on the team with 40 assists. She passed out six assists against McNeese and Wright State, and had four steals against both CSUN (Cal State Northridge) and UTEP.Â
JAQUIA WHITE
JaQuia White is averaging 5.7 points per game, reaching double figures twice. She scored a career-high 13 points against McNeese, and scored at least seven points (2018-19's season high) in each of the last four games. The stretch started with a 12-point performance against UTEP with a career-high five field goals, including 2-of-2 from behind the arc. White leads the SMU guards and is third on the team with a 37.3 shooting percentage. She leads the team outside the arc, going 10-for-26 (38.5 percent) on 3-point attempts, including 6-of-9 over the last four games.
ARIANA WHITFIELD
Ariana Whitfield scored a season-high nine points in the opening win against McNeese. Last season, she led the team with 98 assists, while averaging 7.1 points per game. Whitfield scored a career-high 24 points in a win at Tulane, and handed out nine assists against Robert Morris, also a career high. Whitfield scored at least 10 points seven times last season.
SIGNING DAY
Three-time state champion Rhyle McKinney, all-state guard Tamia Jones and point guard Jayla Brooks, the 2018-19 District 10-6A Offensive Player of the Year, make up the SMU 2020 freshman class.
RHYLE McKINNEY
McKinney averaged 23.9 points with 4.3 rebounds and 2.9 steals as a junior. She was named Texas Class 1A-4A Player of the Year by the Texas Girls Coaches Association after leading Argyle to a 32-7 record, which included the program's fifth consecutive Class 4A state championship. McKinney was named to the all-state, all-area and all-district teams.
TAMIA JONES
Jones was named to the all-state team after a stellar year at The Colony High School, where she led her team to the Class 5A Region I semifinals. She scored 14 points in a 68-66 loss to eventual state champion Amarillo, averaging 16.2 points and 4.7 assists for the season.
JAYLA BROOKS
As a junior, Brooks led Sachse to the Texas 6A Region II quarterfinals before a one-point loss to eventual state semifinalist Allen, 49-48. She is a three-time first-team all-district selection. During her sophomore year, Brooks led Sachse to one of the most prolific comeback wins in program history. Trailing Pflugerville Hendrickson 27-4 in the second quarter of the 2018 Class 6A Region II semifinal, Brooks aided in the comeback to send Sachse to just its second region final in school history.
YOUTH GAINS EXPERIENCE
• SMU returns three starters and seven total letterwinners from last season's squad, which was one of the two youngest teams in the country based on average age. This season's returners accounted for more than half of the minutes played a year ago, with the three starters averaging at least 29 minutes.Â
RECRUITING YOUNG STARS
• Two seasons ago, Ariana Whitfield, a member of Travis Mays' first signing class, was named to the conference all-freshman team. Last season, Kayla White earned the honor after leading SMU with 11.4 points. This season, Mays added Arkansas Player of the Year and state champion Reagan Bradley.
MOODY MAGIC
• SMU is 378-237 at home all-time. Travis Mays has led the Mustangs to a 33-20 record in Moody Coliseum, winning 62 percent of home games.Â
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