SMU (9-3, 0-0 AAC) at Houston (3-10, 0-0)
Dec. 29, 2022 – 7 p.m. CT
TV: ESPN+ | Matt Pedersen and Lemont Williams
Radio: KAAM 770 AM | John Hendry
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SMU Notes | AAC Notes | Houston Notes
 
OPENING TIP
     •    SMU returns to the hardwood after eight days off since its last contest, a 57-44 triumph over UIW Dec. 21.
     •    The Mustangs open the American Athletic Conference portion of their slate at Houston Friday at 7 p.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT
     •    SMU outscored UIW 20-3 in the third quarter en route to a 57-44 victory at Moody Coliseum Wednesday.
     •    It is the eighth win in the last nine games for the Mustangs.
     •    SMU held UIW scoreless for nearly 14 minutes, which extended from 7:09 left in the third until just over three minutes remaining in the contest.
     •    The Mustangs ran off 20 points in succession, while the Cardinals went 0-for-11 from the field during the stretch.
     •    Chantae Embry posted a game-high 14 points, while Savannah Wilkinson led with eight rebounds.
     •    Tamia Jones paced the Mustangs with four assists, five steals and three blocks.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
     •    SMU went 6-0 during the non-conference portion of its schedule, joining Tulsa and South Florida as the only teams to post perfect marks at home.
     •    The Mustangs outscore opponents 70.0-48.3 at Moody Coliseum and hold a +15.5 (43.3-27.8) advantage on the glass.
     •    They knock down 45.4% from the field, including 40.2% from three-point range, holding their guests to 33.2% and 27.9% respectively.
 
GETTING DEFENSIVE
    •   SMU ranks second in The American, holding its opponents to 57.0 points per game.
The Mustangs are 8-2 when holding opponents below 60 points.
    •    Oklahoma is the only team to surpass its scoring average against SMU.
    •    The Mustangs are 8-1 when holding their opponent under 40% from the floor.
     •    Oklahoma, LA Tech and Texas A&M are the only teams to shoot better than 40% from the field against the Mustangs.
 
BEST IN THE AAC
     •    Jasmine Smith collected AAC Co-Player of the Week Dec. 5, after her performance at the Raising the B.A.R tournament.
     •    Savannah Wilkinson earned a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-AAC Team.
 
CALIFORNIA DREAMING
    •    SMU won the second Raising the B.A.R Invitational, hosted by Cal Dec. 3-4 in Berkeley, Calif
    •    The Mustangs defeated Gardner-Webb 84-71 in the opener before capping off the weekend with a 70-56 victory over Cal.
    •    Jasmine Smith earned MVP honors, while Savannah Wilkinson and Tamia Jones joined her on the all-tournament team.
    •    Arkansas-Pine Bluff dropped an 84-51 result against the Golden Bears Saturday and finished 0-2 with an 81-71 setback against the Runnin' Bulldogs Sunday.
 
ABOUT THE B.A.R. INVITATIONAL
    •   What was previously known as the Cal Classic, an annual tournament that started in 1978.
    •    The event was re-branded by Cal head coach Charmin Smith to the Raising The B.A.R. Invitational to elevate the voices, stories and people in the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging space.
    •    The purpose of the event is to shine a light on the fact that Black female coaches are a highly underrepresented group among women's DI college basketball programs and put on an event that highlights them.
 
INSIDE THE STREAK
    •   During the seven-game winning streak, the Mustangs averaged 73.3 points.
    •    Opponents averaged 55.6 points and grabbed 10.2 fewer rebounds.
    •    SMU converted 48.5% from the field, including 44.7% behind the arc.
         •   The Mustangs held their foes to 35.3% and 29.3%, respectively.
    •    SMU made 11 free throws on average while surrendering just 13.4 attempts per contest.
 
LONGEST WINNING STREAKS - SMU PROGRAM HISTORY
12 ................................................................................1999-2000
10..................................................................................... 2012-13
8........................................................ 1998-99, 2004-05, 2007-08
7......................... 1979-80, 1993-94, 2007-08, 2013-14, 2022-23
 
20-20 VISION
     •    Chantae Embry owns two of the Mustangs three 20-points games this season.
          •   The Oklahoma native dropped 20 in her two trips to the Sooner state.
          •   She netted 20 points and four boards in her hometown Nov. 11 at Oklahoma.
          •   Embry tallied 20 points and seven rebounds at Oral Roberts Nov. 26.
     •    Jasmine Smith totaled 21 in a home win over LA Tech Nov. 22.
 
REACHING NEW HEIGHTS
    •    Going into the 2022-23 campaign, SMU finds itself predicted to finish third in the AAC standings, just behind league front-runners USF and Houston.
    •    The team has a unanimous preseason all-conference first-team selection in Savannah Wilkinson and a lot of momentum to build on after finishing tied for fourth in the league last year and making the WNIT for the first time since 2017.
 
EXPERIENCE AND YOUTH
    •    It is easy to understand why outsiders would have higher opinions coming into this season.
    •    SMU returns eight players who saw significant playing time, including regular starters Wilkinson, Jasmine Smith and Reagan Bradley.
   •     Additionally, the team gets reinforcements from transfers like Chantae Embry (Texas Tech), Jessica Peterson (Fresno State), and a strong five-player freshman class.
    •    Not only was SMU picked to finish near the top of the AAC, but the Mustangs received a vote in the preseason USA Today/Coaches Top 25 poll.
 
BUILDING ON YEAR ONE
    •    After finishing 14-15 overall last year and 7-7 in the AAC, Wilson is ready to see how competitive her squad can be.
    •    The season begins Nov. 7 inside Moody Coliseum against Alabama State.
    •    Shortly after that, the non-conference slate amps up quickly with dates against preseason ranked foes in No. 15 Oklahoma (November 11) and No. 18 Baylor (November 15) in back-to-back games, along with California (December 4) and Texas A&M (December 18) down the road.
    •    Those outings will provide bigger tests but will also be opportunities for the Mustangs to prove that the preseason praise was well-deserved.
 
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, intending to help 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.