SMU To Open Conference Play At Memphis Saturday At 1 p.m.

SMU (6-6, 0-0 AAC) at Memphis (9-3, 0-1 AAC)
Elma Roane Fieldhouse - Memphis, Tenn.
Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022 – 1 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: KAAM 770 AM | Audio Streaming: SMU App (Google Play | Apple App Store)
Live Stats
Game Notes: SMU | Memphis | The American
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SETTING THE SCENE
•   SMU is scheduled to play at Memphis Saturday at 1 p.m. on ESPN+ in the Elma Roane Fieldhouse.
•   The contest would be the first American Athletic Conference game for the Mustangs, while the Tigers lost to Tulsa in their conference opener.

ABOUT SMU
•   The Mustangs are 6-6 after dominant 79-53 victory at TCU on Jan. 2.
•   SMU won its season opener, 75-63, in head coach Toyelle Wilson's debut on the Hilltop.
•   Savannah Wilkinson is ninth in the NCAA with eight double-doubles. She leads the team in points, 15.5, and rebounds, 9.8, 37th in the country.
•   Kayla White averages 13.3 points after scoring a career-high 25 points against UAPB in her first start of the season.
•   Jasmine Smith scored a career-high 25 points against UAPB, and tied the SMU single-game record with a career-high 11 assists at TCU.

ABOUT MEMPHIS
•   Memphis is 9-3 overall but lost 72-69 to Tulsa in its conference opener. Prior to the loss, Memphis had won seven of its last eight games.
•   Jamirah Shutes leads the team with 12.1 points per game and is the only player scoring at least 10 per game.

SERIES HISTORY
•   SMU is 16-7 all-time against Memphis, but just 7-5 in games at Memphis.
•   The Tigers have won two of the last three, including an AAC Tournament victory, 76-65, in the last contest of the series.
•   SMU had won five straight prior to the last three in the series.

SAVANNAH WILKINSON
Savannah Wilkinson recorded double-doubles in the first five games of the season, setting a program record for most consecutive double-doubles. She ranks ninth in the NCAA with eight this season. She averages 9.8 rebounds per game, 37th in the NCAA, and is 11th in the country with 8.0 defensive rebounds per game. The Florida State transfer scores a team-best 15.5 points per game, reaching double digits in all 12 games this season with a career-high 24 points against Oklahoma. Wilkinson scored 20 points against both Arkansas and North Texas, and grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds against Delaware and again at TCU. She played in more than 70 games in three seasons at Florida State with career highs of 14 points and nine rebounds.

SYDNE WIGGINS
Sydne Wiggins scored a career-high 26 points against Seattle in the South Point Shootout, and was named to the all-tournament team after averaging 21.0 points in the event. She has scored at least 10 points in six of 10 games on the Hilltop and 32 times in her career. Wiggins won a WNIT championship during her four-year career at Rice. This season at SMU, Wiggins is shooting 39.0 percent from the field and 31.7 percent with a team-best 13 made 3-pointers.

JASMINE SMITH
Jasmine Smith leads the team in assists, 53, steals, 18, and blocks, 15. She scored a career-high 25 points against UAPB and tied the program single-game assists record with 11 at TCU. Smith averages 9.0 points and 4.4 assists per game. She totaled eight assists in the season opener, and now has at least eight assists in five game throughout her career. She tallied what was a career-high 10 assists during Rice's run to the 2021 WNIT championship. Smith's career high was 21 points during the 2019-20 season at Rice, the only other time in her career she scored at least 20 points.

KAYLA WHITE
Kayla White scored a career-high 25 points against UAPB and finished with 21 at TCU. She is second on the team with 13.3 points. The returning starter's previous season-high was 20 points against Oklahoma, and White has reached double figures eight times this season, including each of the last six games. She has scored more than 10 points 32 times in her career and eclipsed 20 seven times with a previous career-high 22 points twice.

PAIGE BAYLISS
With 12 points and 10 rebounds against Oral Roberts, Paige Bayliss posted her third career double-double. Bayliss posted the first double-double of her career as a sophomore with 14 points and 10 rebounds against UC-Irvine. She also had a double-double against Tulane in the same season, scoring 13 points with a career-high 15 rebounds. This season, Bayliss is averaging 3.9 points and 4.1 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per game.

DANIELLE SANDERLIN
Danielle Sanderlin scored a game-high 20 points in the season opener. She averages 5.0 points, shooting 49.0 percent from the field. Sanderlin is third on the team with 3.8 rebounds per game and grabbed a season-high eight against Seattle.

AMIRAH ABDUR-RAHIM
After missing the first game due to injury, Amirah Abdur-Rahim scored eight points against Oklahoma State in her first game on the Hilltop. She suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice prior to the game against Oral Roberts.

AMBER BACON
Three-year starter Amber Bacon suffered a season-ending knee injury late in the game against Oral Roberts. The senior scored eight points with four assists in 24 minutes off the bench this season.

BOLD: Big Opportunities Live in Dallas
As part of its goal of Shaping Champions and preparing students for life, SMU Athletics proudly announces the addition of its BOLD (Big Opportunities Live in Dallas) Program to its suite of student-athlete development tools, with the goal of helping student-athletes navigate and capitalize on new Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) legislation.

BOLD will provide SMU student-athletes with the means to navigate the evolving NIL landscape. The BOLD program will incorporate INFLCR, a comprehensive NIL education and compliance solution, and campus resources from the Cox School of Business, the Dedman School of Law, and the Meadows School of the Arts.

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Players Mentioned

Amirah Abdur-Rahim

Amber Bacon

Paige Bayliss

Danielle Sanderlin

Jasmine Smith

Kayla White

Sydne Wiggins

Savannah Wilkinson

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