SMU Heads West For San Diego Classic

Friday, November 24

San Diego, Calif.

2 p.m. CT

SMU

Toledo

SMU Heads West For San Diego Classic

Nov 21 | Women's Basketball

San Diego Classic
Friday, Nov. 24 I vs. Toledo I 2:00 p.m. CT
Saturday, Nov. 25 I vs. Harvard I 4:30 p.m. CT
TV: FloSports I Live Stats
Radio: KAAM 770 AM | Audio Streaming: SMU App (Google Play | Apple App Store)
SMU Notes | Toledo I Harvard
SMU Basketball Yearbook | SMU Digital Game Program
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OPENING TIP
SMU heads west for two games at the San Diego Classic.
SMU faces Toledo on Friday and Harvard Saturday. Tip off is set for 2 p.m. CT on Friday and 4:30 p.m. CT Saturday.
The action can be seen on FloSports, with live stats accessible at SMUMustangs.com/stats.

A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS
Toledo
Toledo is 1-2 overall this season. The Rockets defeated James Madison 60-49 in their season opener before dropping back-to-back contests against Gonzaga and Cincinnati. Toledo entered the season receiving votes in the Top 25 Poll and was picked to finish first in the MAC.

Harvard
Harvard is 3-2 overall this season. Harvard dropped its season opener to then-No. 14 Maryland, before winning three straight. Most recently, Harvard fell to then-No. 21 Baylor 81-71. Harvard was picked to finish third in the IVY League Preseason Poll.

LAST TIME OUT
Colorado 84, SMU 69 I Saturday, Nov. 18
DALLAS (SMU)- SMU suffered its first loss of the season with an 84-69 setback against No. 5 Colorado on Saturday night in Moody Coliseum. Graduate guard Tiara Young led all scorers with 30 points.

Young's 30 points marked a career-high and put her in double figures for the fourth time this season. She tallied four rebounds, two assists, and a block. Chantae Embry turned in 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and a steal.

Tamia Jones scored four points, grabbed four rebounds, and had a block, and Reagan Bradley finished with six points, four rebounds, and dished out three assists. Amirah Abdur-Rahim chipped in eight points, four rebounds, two blocks, and an assist. TK Pitts finished with four points and a pair of steals. Jiya Perry scored three points.

STARTING STRONG
SMU is off to a fast start through its first four games.
The Mustangs started 3-0 for the first time since the 2013-14 season.
SMU won its third consecutive season opener with a 78-55 victory over UC Riverside, followed by a dominating 96-47 victory over Alabama State. SMU's 96 points marked the most points scored during the Toyelle Wilson era.
The Mustangs suffered their first loss of the season on Nov. 18, an 84-69 setback against then-No. 5 Colorado.
SMU ranks in the top five in the league in eight different team categories, including first in FG%, FG% defense, 3pt FG%, and assists per game.
Category                            Value      AAC/National
Scoring Offense          78.00 3/72
Scoring Defense 60.00 5/119
FT% .670               9/213
FG% .491              1/35
FG% Defense          .387                10/161
3PT FG%              .410                1/19
3PT FG% Defense .229              4/53
REB Margin +1.80              10/172
Blocks 4.02               4/83
Assists 17.80              1/40
Steals 8.50                9/165
Turnover Margin 4.25              5/83

AAC'S BEST
SMU graduate guard Tiara Young was named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Week, the league announced on Monday. Young led the Mustangs in both games last week. The graduate guard turned in 24 points, eclipsed 1,000 career points, and grabbed a season-high seven rebounds in SMU's victory over Nicholls. Young led all scorers and posted a career-high 30 points against No. 5 Colorado. She has scored in double digits all four games this season and averaged 27 points per game last week. Young added four rebounds, two assists, and a block against the Buffaloes.

A WALKING BUCKET
Former AAC Sixth Player of the Year Tiara Young is off to an impressive start this season.
Young has led the Mustangs and turned in double-digit points in all four games this season.
Young was crowned the AAC Player of the Week after posting 24 points and earning her 1000th career point against Nicholls to start the week. Young posted a career-high 30 points against then-No. 5 Colorado. .
Young ranks in the top 10 nationally in total points with 91, while averaging 22.8 points per game, ranking second in the league and top-15 in the country. The graduate guard is shooting 63.4% from the field, which ranks second in the league.
Young had a strong debut, posting 20 points, three rebounds, and five assists to lead SMU over UC Riverside. Young tallied her second double-digit scoring performance of the year with 17 points against Alabama State.

EMBRY PICKING UP WHERE SHE LEFT OFF
Chantae Embry is picking up where she left off last season. Embry started this season's campaign with a double-double (16 points, 12 rebounds), and added five assists and two steals against UC Riverside.
Embry added 13 points, four rebounds, one steal and an assist against Alabama State.
Most recently, Embry tallied 14 points using a career-high four three-point jump shots, and grabbed eight rebounds and passed out four assists against No. 5 Colorado.
Embry is shooting 60% from the three point line (1st AAC, 18th nationally).
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.

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 has turned in double-digit scoring performances in two out of the Mustangs first four contests. The graduate student has passed out 17 assists (4th AAC), and 4.2 assists per game (6th AAC).
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 START FOR ABDUR-RAHIM
Amirah Abdur-Rahim is off to a career start.
The senior forward chipped in 14 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks against Nicholls.
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.
Abdur-Rahim has blocked 10 shots this season (1st AAC/10th nationally), and averages 2.50 blocks per game (1st AAC, 24th nationally). Abdur-Rahim is shooting 50% from the field (8th AAC, 209th nationally).

FILLING UP THE STAT SHEET
Tamia Jones has done it all for the Mustangs so far this season.
Jones enters the San Diego Classic after totaling 37 points, 15 rebounds, 19 assists, and 11 steals through four games.
Jones tied her career-high with eight assists against Nicholls and tallied double-digit points (14) for the second time this season.
Jones has passed out 19 assists on the year (1st AAC/51st nationally) and averages 4.8 assists per game (2nd AAC, 79th nationally). She ranks second in the league and 38th nationally with 2.75 steals per game.

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 3-1 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 in 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 in Moody Coliseum.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
SMU is outshooting opponents .491-.387 so far this season, including a .410-.229 advantage from behind the arc.
SMU averages 1.7 more rebounds per game than its opponents, while recording 2.7 more assists per game.
The Mustangs were 15-5 when out rebounding 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.
SMU was 16-2 when holding opponents at 39.9% or less.

SHOOTING STARS
SMU has outshot its opponents in three out of its first four games this season.
The Mustangs have shot over 50% from the field in two out of their first four games, including an average of 41.0% from the three point line, ranking first in the league and 19th nationally.

GETTING DEFENSIVE
SMU is allowing 60.0 ppg, ranking fifth in the conference.
The Mustangs have held three out of their first four opponents under 55 points.
SMU held its first three opponents under 40% shooting, and all four opponents under 50%.
SMU allowed 58.3 ppg last season, ranking second in the AAC and 41st in the nation.
Oklahoma (97-74), Wichita State (73-65) and Temple (68-62) were the only teams to surpass its scoring average against SMU in regulation.

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.

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.

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 fifth-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, benefitting 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.