SMU Takes On ECU Tuesday At Home On ESPN3

SMU (9-13, 3-7 AAC) vs. ECU (7-15, 2-7 AAC)
Feb. 11, 2020 – 7 p.m.
Dallas, Texas | Moody Coliseum
ESPN3 | Live Stats | Radio

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SMU faces ECU Tuesday night for the second time this season. The contest is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip in Moody Coliseum, and ESPN3 will broadcast the game.

THE OPPONENT - ECU
• ECU is 5-17 overall, 2-7 in The American.
• The Pirates won two of their last three, both at home, with wins against Houston and Memphis, and a two-point loss at Wichita State.

EARLIER THIS SEASON
• Kayla White scored 18 points to lead SMU to a 55-47 win at ECU.
• The win was the first in Greenville since Jan. 18, 2008, and snapped a five-game SMU losing streak.

JOHNASIA CASH
Johnasia Cash ranks third in the conference with 9.0 rebounds per game and averages 10.7 points. She scored a career-high 25 points against Cincinnati and grabbed 12 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the season. She finished with 18 points and a season-high 16 rebounds against North Dakota. Cash tops the team and is fourth in the league in blocks with 32, averaging 1.5 per game. She posted four-blocks three times. Cash ranks 62nd in the NCAA in rebounds per game.

REAGAN BRADLEY
Reagan Bradley surpassed Tomi Hollis (1982-83) to set the SMU freshman single-season assists record against Cincinnati with her 96th assist of the season. She has 98 on the year, and ranks 79th in the NCAA and eighth among freshmen. Bradley is averaging 9.8 points per game with 4.5 assists, second in The American. With a season-high nine assists against UTEP, Bradley tied for 16th in a game at SMU (SINGLE-GAME RECORD IS 11). She has 10 games with at least five assists, including eight of the last 13 games. She scored a season-high 18 points against George Mason and has scored at least 10 points 10 times, including seven of the last 10 games.

SMU FRESHMAN RECORDS

SINGLE-GAME ASSISTS
   1.   Kendall Shead    (1/25/03 vs. Tulsa)   10
   2.   Reagan Bradley    (12/19/19 vs. UTEP)   9
   3.   Reagan Bradley    (11/5/19 vs. McNeese)   8
   T4.   Reagan Bradley    (12/9/19 vs. North Dakota)   7
   T4.   Reagan Bradley   (1/29/20 vs. Wichita State)   7
   T4.   Five other players       7

SINGLE-SEASON ASSISTS
   1.   Reagan Bradley   2019-20   98
   2.   Tomi Hollis   1982-83   95
   3.   Karen Blair   1995-96   93
   4.   Katy Cobb   2004-05   88
   5.   Kendall Shead   2002-03   86
   6.   Brittany Gilliam   2006-07   73

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.

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 379-240 at home all-time. Travis Mays has led the Mustangs to a 34-22 record in Moody Coliseum, winning 60 percent of home games.

LAST TIME OUT
• Reagan Bradley passed Tomi Hollis (1982-83) for the freshman single-season assists record and has 98 on the year.
• Johnasia Cash scored a career-high 25 points with 12 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the season.
• The Mustangs lost 73-58 against Cincinnati.

NEXT ON THE SLATE
• SMU returns to the road for games at Tulsa, Feb. 15, and Wichita State, Feb. 19.

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 41.8 rebounds per game, 32nd in the NCAA and fourth in The American.
• SMU is 70th in the NCAA and fourth in the AAC in field-goal defense, holding opponents to 37.2 percent from the field.
• SMU is 70th in the NCAA and fourth in The American in scoring defense, allowing 59.6 points per game.

KAYLA WHITE
Kayla White is second on the team with 10.4 points, and has scored at least 10 points eight times. She scored a season-high 22 points against North Dakota, one game after dropping 21 against Wright State. She led the team with 18 points in a win at ECU in January.

PAIGE BAYLISS
Paige Bayliss has three games with at least 10 rebounds, including two of the last seven. Since the start of conference play, she is averaging 6.8 rebounds and 7.3 points. Bayliss posted her second double-double of the season with a career-high 15 rebounds and 13 points against Tulane. The first double-double of her career came with 14 points and 10 rebounds against UC Irvine. Overall, Bayliss is averaging 6.8 points and 5.3 rebounds, with a team-high 52.9 shooting percentage, second in The American.

AMBER BACON
Amber Bacon is fourth on the team with 7.7 points per game this season. She reached double digits 10 times, including a season-high 16 points against CSUN, and scored a team-high 12 against UConn. She is third on the team with 33 steals, and is hitting a team-best 71.9 percent from the free-throw line, 12th in the league. Bacon is second on the team with 71 assists. She passed out six assists against McNeese and Wright State, and again at ECU. Bacon recorded four steals against both CSUN (Cal State Northridge) and UTEP.

JAQUIA WHITE
JaQuia White is averaging 5.0 points per game, reaching double figures twice. She scored a career-high 13 points against McNeese, and finished with 12 against UTEP. White is shooting 33.9 percent, and she leads the team outside the arc, going 15-for-46 (32.6 percent) on 3-point attempts.

ARIANA WHITFIELD
Ariana Whitfield scored a season-high 23 points against Tulsa, one shy of her career-high, going 9-of-15 from the field. The junior was named to The American Weekly Honor Roll for her efforts. Limited this season due to injuries earlier in the year, she is averaging 5.5 points with a 36.9 shooting percentage. With 12 points against UCF, Whitfield has reached double digits in two of the last five games.

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.

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Players Mentioned

Amber Bacon

Paige Bayliss

Reagan Bradley

Johnasia Cash

JaQuia White

Kayla White

Ariana Whitfield

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