SMU (2-0) vs Nicholls (3-0)
Moody Coliseum – Dallas, Texas
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 – 11:00 a.m. CT
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OPENING TIP
SMU faces Nicholls on Tuesday. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m. in Moody Coliseum.
The action can be seen on ESPN+, with live stats accessible at SMUMustangs.com.
Tuesday's matchup marks the second meeting between the two programs.

EDUCATION DAY IN MOODY
SMU women's basketball Education Day will take place Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 11 a.m. when the Mustangs take on Nicholls. 
The initiative began as a way for the Mustangs to engage local classrooms with an educational experience centered around an excellent institution.
Schools that register early can submit video questions for SMU women's basketball student-athletes to answer on the video board during the game. Educational lessons will take place during timeout breaks and halftime. 

LAST TIME OUT 
SMU 96, Alabama State 47 I Saturday, Nov. 11
The SMU women's basketball team cruised to a 96-47 victory over Alabama State on Saturday afternoon in Moody Coliseum.

SMU (2-0) posted the most points in the Toyelle Wilson era. The Mustangs shot 56% from the field (36-64), including 64% (7-11) from the three point line, while holding Alabama State to 33% on the night. 

Amirah Abdur-Rahim led the Mustangs after having a career day. Abdur-Rahim posted a double-double (18 points, 11 rebounds), while adding four blocks, two steals, and an assist. Reagan Bradley moved to sixth on SMU's all-time assist list after tying her career high of nine and adding three steals, two rebounds, and two points. Chantae Embry and Tiara Young both turned in their second double-digit scoring performances in as many games. Embry finished with 13, four rebounds, an assist, and a steal, while Young finished with 17 points, two rebounds, and two assists.  Maya Chandler reached double-digits, scoring 16 points and adding four rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Tamia Jones tallied 12 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and a career-high six steals. TK Pitts chipped in nine points and three rebounds, and Jiya Perry added a career-high eight points. Donavia Hall finished with three assists, two steals, and two rebounds.

LAST MEETING
SMU 68, Nicholls 61 I Friday, Nov. 10, 2017
DALLAS (SMU) – The Mustangs stormed back from an eight-point deficit in the second half, due in large part to stifling defense in the second half to defeat Nichollas 68-61 in Moody Coliseum. 

SCOUTING THE COLONELS
Nicholls enters Tuesday's contest with a 3-0 record. 
The Colonels picked up an 82-65 victory over North American University in its season opener. Next, they took down Tulane 69-66 before defeating SUNO 94-52. 
Nicholls finished its 2022-23 campaign with a 5-24 record. The Colonels were picked to finish 10th in the 2023-24 Southland Preseason Poll. 

STARTING STRONG 
SMU is off to a fast start through its first two games. The Mustangs won their third consecutive season opener with a 78-55 victory over UC Riverside, followed by a dominating 96-47 victory over Alabama State. 
SMU has shot over 50% from the field in its first two games, while holding both of its opponents under 40% shooting. 
SMU is outshooting opponents .542-.331, and grabbing 4.5 more rebounds than its opponents. 
SMU has passed out 8.5 more assists per game than its opponents, and recorded 3.5 more steals. 

HOW THE NUMBERS STACK UP
SMU ranks in the top five in the nation in field goal percentage (.542) and three-point percentage (.519). SMU leads the conference in assist/turnover ratio (1.76), assists per game (22), and scoring offense (87). 

A WALKING BUCKET
Former AAC Sixth Player of the Year Tiara Young had a strong debut for the Mustangs.Young posted 20 points, three rebounds and five assists to lead SMU over UC Riverside.
Young posted her second consecutive double-digit scoring performance with 17 points against Alabama State. 
Young is 16 points away from reaching 1,000 career points.

EMBRY PICKING UP WHERE SHE LEFT OFF
Chantae Embry started her 2023-24 campaign with a double-double, totaling 16 points and 12 rebounds. Embry added five assists and two steals. 
Embry added 13 points, four rebounds, one steal and assist, while tying her career-high of two three point field goals against Alabama State. 
Chantae Embry owned four of the Mustangs' seven 20-point games last season (20 at OU, 20 at Oral Roberts, 20 vs. ECU, 21 vs. Houston) 
Embry started 28 games and averaged 11.6 points (20th AAC), 6.2 rebounds (11th AAC) per game, while shooting 48.3% from the field and 75.5% at the free throw line. 
She recorded five double-doubles on the year.

BRADLEY LEAVING HER MARK
Guard Reagan Bradley returns for her fifth season on the Hilltop. Bradley moved to sixth on SMU's All-Time Assists list with 329 total after tying her career high of nine against Alabama State. Bradley opened the season by moving to seventh on the list after passing out two against UC Riverside.
Bradley started 26 games last season, averaging 8.7 points, 3.1 assists (8th AAC), and three rebounds while playing 30.2 minutes per game.
Bradley has started 85 and played in 91 games at SMU entering the 2023-24 season. 
SMU Career Assists
489 Suzanne McAnally 1989-92
481 Kendall Shead 2003-06
462 Karen Blair 1995-99
435 Brittany Gilliam 2006-10
368 Missy Parker 1990-93
329 Reagan Bradley 2019-24
327 Tomi Hollis 1983-86
319 Alisha Filmore 2009-13

CAREER DAY FOR ABDUR-RAHIM
Amirah Abdur-Rahim led the Mustangs against Alabama State, posting career highs in points, rebounds, blocks, and steals. The senior forward earned a double-double (18 points, 11 rebounds), while adding four blocks, two steals, and an assist. filling up the stat sheet
Tamia Jones has done it all for the Mustangs. Jones enters Tuesday's contest after totaling 19 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, and seven steals through two games. 

RECAPPING THE 2022-23 SEASON
SMU finished the 2022-23 season with a 17-13 record.  
SMU went 13-2 in Moody Coliseum, including a program-record 10-game home winning streak. Savannah Wilkinson, Jasmine Smith and Ella Brow each earned All-American Athletic Conference honors. 
The Mustangs made the WNIT for the second straight season, earning a postseason bid in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2014 and 2015. 
The Mustangs ranked second in scoring defense in the AAC, holding opponents to only 58.3 points per game. 
Three different Mustangs finished in the top 10 in the league in four separate individual categories.

BACK-TO-BACK POSTSEASON APPEARANCES  
SMU made the WNIT for the second consecutive season under Head Coach Toyelle Wilson. 
The Mustangs made the postseason in back-to-back years for the first time since 2014 and 2015. The 2022-23 season marked the third postseason appearance in seven seasons. 
SMU defeated Little Rock 68-42 in the first round of the WNIT in Moody Coliseum.

MOODY MAGIC
SMU is off to a 2-0 start in Moody Coliseum this season. Last season, SMU finished 13-2 in Moody Coliseum, including a 10-0 start at home- breaking the program's best start to open a season (2004-05) and best home winning streak (1999-00, final nine games). 

HOME COOKING
The Mustangs outscored their opponents 67.1-52.4 at Moody Coliseum, shooting 44.1% to opponents' 34.2% last season.  
In rebounding action, SMU owned the 40.9-32.2 advantage.
The Mustangs averaged 4.7 more assists than their opponents at Moody Coliseum.
 
GETTING DEFENSIVE
SMU allowed 58.3 ppg, ranking second in the AAC and 41st in the nation. 
The Mustangs owned a 15-4 record when holding opponents below 60 points.
Oklahoma (97-74), Wichita State (73-65) and Temple (68-62) were the only teams to surpass its scoring average against SMU in regulation. ECU scored 66 in the Mustangs' overtime win, surpassing last season's average of 62.4 and Memphis scored 69 points in overtime, surpassing its average of 68.1. 
SMU's three losses when holding a team below 40% occurred at Baylor, Tulane and against Houston in the AAC Quarterfinal.
    
RETURNERS AAC AWARDS 
Ella Brow was named the AAC Freshman of the Week on Jan. 16  after wins against Cincinnati and ECU.
Chantae Embry was a five-time AAC Weekly Honor Roll selection last season (2/13, 1/24, 1/16, 1/2, 11/14).
Jessica Peterson earned a spot on the final 2022-23 Weekly Honor Roll for the first time in her career on March 2. 

INSIDE LAST SEASON'S NUMBERS
The Mustangs were 15-5 when outrebounding their opponents last season.
SMU finished the year outscoring its foes in the paint in 22 of the last 30 games, winning 17.
SMU was 14-1 when recording more assists than its opponent.
SMU scored more bench points than its opponents 12 times last season. 

SHOOTING STARS
SMU owned a 14-3 mark when outshooting its opponents last season.
The Mustangs were 12-4 when hitting at least 40% from the field.
SMU was 16-2 when holding opponents at 39.9% or less. 

ELLA READY TO MAKE THE JUMP
Brow was named to the AAC All-Freshman team after an impressive rookie season. 
Brow finished last season ranked 14th in assists per game in the AAC, averaging 2.72 per game.
Brow played in 25 games last season, making 10 starts. She averaged 4.6 points, 2.72 assists, and 22.4 minutes. 
Brow finished with 10 points, five rebounds, and an assist against UC Riverside. 

NO PRESSURE, NO DIAMONDS
The Mustangs 11-game non-conference gauntlet features eight games in Moody Coliseum. 
SMU will navigate a tough non-conference schedule, featuring games against No. 19 Baylor, and 20th-ranked Colorado along with a matchup with Toledo who is receiving votes after a run to the quarterfinals of the WNIT last season.

WELCOME TO THE HILLTOP
SMU welcomes two freshman and two transfers to the Hilltop for the 2023-24 season. 
Tiara Young I G I GR I Shreveport, La./Houston
2022-23 (Senior at Houston): Appeared in 30 games, starting one game on Senior Night against Wichita State (Mar. 1)... Finished 17 games with 10 or more points and led the Cougars in scoring in 10 games…Led the team in free throws made (85), while finishing second in points (361), field goals made (136), and assists (51)... Recorded several career-highs in her senior season including a 26-point performance in the American Athletic Conference Tournament semifinal against Wichita State (Mar. 8)... Unanimously American Athletic Conference Sixth Player of the Year… Dave Campbell's Texas Basketball Sixth Woman of the Yea

Maya Chandler I G I SR I Martinsville, Ind./Loyola Chicago
2022-23 (Junior at Loyola Chicago): Started 23 games and appeared in 30… Led the Ramblers in scoring with 10.7 points per game… Averaged three rebounds per game… Totaled 34 assists and 31 steals… Shot 82.6% from the charity stripe.

Aaliyah Henderson I G I FR I Norman, Okla. 
High School: Henderson, a three-year letterwinner for Norman High School ranks in the top-five in Oklahoma for the class of 2022 at the point-guard position. She earned two All-Central Oklahoma Athletic Conference Selections, including first team in 2022. Her team won the 2021 Oklahoma 6A State Title after qualifying for the state tournament the previous year, before it was cancelled due to COVID-19. Her other accolades include Joe Lawson All Tournament First Team, Bruce Gray Invitational All Tournament MVP, 56th Annual Tournament of Champions All-Tournament First Team, Big All City Second Team, The Oklahoman Super 5 Honorable Mention, a two-time All-Oklahoma Honorable mention. In the classroom, Henderson entered her senior campaign for accuracy.

Shanel Reid I G I FR I Austin Texas
High School: A three-year letterwinner for Austin High School earned All-Texas First Team Honors twice, an All-Texas Academic First Team Accolade, All-Region First Team in 2021-22, All-District First Team Selection and 2019-20 district newcomer of the year and offensive MVP.

PRESEASON PROWESS
SMU was predicted to finish fourth in the AAC standings in 2023-24 Preseason Poll behind league front-runners USF, ECU, and Rice. 

PONY UP DALLAS 
In just seven days, SMU has raised $100 million to support the Mustangs' transition to the Atlantic Coast Conference. 
The generous early commitments from a group of thirty donors that includes trustees and key donors – alumni and non-alumni alike – will enable SMU to align and compete with an elite group of national institutions with powerhouse athletic programs, benefiting both SMU Athletics and the entire University community. 
The move to the new conference is also creating additional impact. Mustang fans have responded enthusiastically to the planned move, with men's basketball season ticket sales jumping 30% in the last week and hundreds of new football season tickets being sold as well.
Notably, the move has immediately raised SMU's profile, with media coverage of the move generating more than $163 million in advertising value in the first three days. In that same small window, SMU also experienced a 103% increase in visitors to its undergraduate admissions homepage.

BOLD: BIG OPPORTUNITIES LIVE IN DALLAS
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.