SMU (6-5, 0-1 ACC) at North Texas 7-3 (0-0 AAC)
The Super Pit – Denton, Texas
Thursday, December 19, 2024 – 6 p.m. CT
TV: ESPN+ | Audio Streaming: SMU Mobile App
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SMU (6-5, 0-1 ACC) vs Chicago State 0-13 (0-0 NEC)
The Super Pit – Denton, Texas
Friday, December 20, 2024 – 4 p.m. CT
Audio Streaming: SMU Mobile App
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// SMU CLOSES OUT NON-CONFERENCE ACTION AT THE EVAN MOORE CLASSIC
The SMU women's basketball program continues its inaugural season in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) by closing out its non-conference slate at the UNT Tournament in Denton, Texas, this week facing North Texas and Chicago State.

The Evan Moore Classic is a three-team tournament hosted by North Texas. The Mustangs will face North Texas on Thursday at 6 p.m. CT. Fans can watch the game on ESPN+ or listen on the radio through the SMU Mobile App. SMU is still in search of its first road win of the season (0-3), as SMU is 12-25 on the road under Wilson.

SMU will face Chicago State on Friday (Dec. 20), with tipoff scheduled for 4 p.m. Fans can listen on the radio through the SMU Mobile App, as Friday's game will not be streamed. The Mustangs are 3-7 in natural site games under Wilson and fell to Minnesota in Tempe, Arizona, in the team's lone neutral site game this season. The Mustang's last neutral site win was against Gardner-Webb (84-71) on Dec. 3, 2022, as part of the Raising the B.A.R. Invitational.

Evan Moore was a male practice player for UNT last season who tragically passed away in an automobile accident over Christmas Break on Dec. 26, 2023. North Texas continues to find ways to honor and remember Evan, including naming this tournament after him.

The Mustangs will look to continue their winning ways after the team's come-from-behind 61-57 victory over Texas Tech last time out. SMU recorded a season-high 52 rebounds and had three players (Peterson-12, Embry-12, Pitts-11) record double-digit rebounds in a single game for the first time since 2014 (Alicia Froling 10, Destynee Hives-McCray 11, Taylor Brame 13 vs FAMU 11/28/14).

Center Jessica Peterson has recorded over 12 rebounds in four of her last five games and has recorded a double-double in three of them, including last time out against Texas Tech.   She collected a career-high 21 rebounds and scored 12 points against UT Arlington, which is the second-most rebounds in a game in school history.  She enters the game ranked sixth in the NCAA in rebounds per game (11.3) and is averaging a double-double, scoring 10.4 points per game.

Guard Nya Robertson has been turning heads all season long. She enters the game ranked 16th in the NCAA in points per game (20.4) and 15th in total points (210). The star guard has scored over 20 points in five times this season and has reached double-digits in every game.

Over the last five games, Robertson has been perfect from the foul line, going 21-21 from the stripe.  She is 49-57 from the line this season, including going 5-5 in the fourth quarter against Texas Tech to help secure the victory. She enters the week ranked inside the top 10 in the ACC in 10 statistical categories.

The ACC has posted 134 victories through the non-conference portion of the regular season, including 25 victories against power conferences and nine wins against ranked teams.
SMU is in its fourth season under head coach Toyelle Wilson. The Mustangs are 51-49 under Wilson and have made the WNIT twice during her tenure.  She holds a career record of 106-92 in seven seasons of head coaching.

// THE MATCHUP
Wednesday will be the 55th meeting between SMU and North Texas. SMU Leads the series 33-21 but North Texas has won the last two games.

Last season, the two teams met twice during conference play. UNT won 78-65 the last time the teams played in Denton. Embry had 12 points in the game. The last time SMU defeated UNT in Denton was in 2013, when they won 84-79 in overtime; Keena Mays scored 32 points in the victory.

It will be the first overall meeting between SMU and Chicago State. The Cougars are 0-12 this season and are 1-38 over the last two seasons.

// HOME SWEET HOME
After defeating Texas Tech in their last home game, the Mustangs are 28-10 at home over the last three seasons. The Mustangs have won nine of their previous 10 home non-conference games dating back to last season. SMU is 28-17 in non-conference games under Wilson.

// SECOND CHANCE OPPORTUNITIES
The Mustangs have collected over 12 offensive rebounds in eight of their 11 games this season and are averaging 17.2 over their last five games.  

SMU has recorded 20 or more offensive rebounds four times this season, including tying its season-high of 22 against Texas Tech. The four games are the most 20+ offensive rebound games in a single season since the team had seven during the 2019-20 season. SMU currently ranks 11th in the NCAA and first in the ACC in offensive rebounds, with an average of 16.7 a game. 

The Mustangs also rank third in the ACC and 23rd in the nation in rebounds per game (43.73).

// FLOOR GENERAL Z
Point guard Zanai Jones has been on a tear recently. She has scored in double figures in three straight games including scoring a career-high 17 points in back-to-back games against Mizzou and FSU. She has shot 6-9 from beyond the arc and 17-35 from the floor during the stretch.

Against Texas Tech, she had a career-high eight assists and no turnovers. It is the second time this season she has had seven assists with no turnovers, and it was the most assists by a Mustang without a turnover since Alisha Filmore had eight against Houston in 2011.

She leads the team in APG with 4.2 and ranks ninth in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.42).

 // PRIME TIME PETERSON
Jessica Peterson is amidst a career season. She has recorded a double-double in three of her last five games and has achieved the feat five times this season, which ranks fourth in the ACC and ranking 18^th in the NCAA.

Peterson currently ranks sixth in the NCAA and is second in the ACC in rebounds per game at 11.3 and is fourth in the NCAA and second in the ACC in total rebounds (124).

Against UTA, she hauled in a career-high 21 rebounds, the second most by a player in a single game in program history. She is now the seventh player in school history to record 20 or more rebounds and the first since Dai'ja Thomas had 22 vs East Carolina 1/13/18 (Tied School Record).

Peterson has been a force on both sides of the ball recently as she recorded a career-high six blocks against UAPB. It was the most blocks by an individual Mustang in a game since Alicia Froling had seven against Wichita St in 2019.

 // A WALKING BUCKET
Nya Robertson has had a strong start to the season. She currently averages 20.4 ppg and ranks 16th in the NCAA and third in the ACC in scoring.

She is on pace this season to be the first Mustangs to average over 20 points a game since Keena Mays averaged 21.0 ppg during the 2013-14 season.

Robertson has showcased her scoring ability all season long, and she enters the week ranked second in the ACC in field goal attempts (4^th in the NCAA- 209), third in total points (15^th in the NCAA- 224), three-point attempts (11^th in the NCAA- 84) and fourth in free throw percentage (86.0) and field goals made (35^th in the NCAA – 74).

Last time out, she scored 14 points in the fourth quarter against Texas Tech to complete the comeback victory.

Robertson went 10-26 from the field in against UTA; her 26 attempts are tied for the sixth most in program history by a single player and the most since Kayla White took 28 shots vs. APBU in 2021.
Robertson has scored over 20 points in five this season, including scoring 29 points against UT Arlington. She has achieved the feat 24 times in her career.

She has scored double-digit points in 18 consecutive games dating back to last season and reached double-digit points in 52 of her career 67 games played.

Robertson reached the 1,000 career point milestone in the third quarter against Arkansas Pine Bluff.  It only took her 63 career games (56 at George Washington / 7 at SMU) to reach the milestone.

Against Old Dominion, scored a season-high 29 points, which was the most points by a Mustang inside Moody Coliseum since Kayla White scored 34 against East Carolina on Jan. 13, 2022.

// LIGHTS OUT EMBRY
Chantae Embry shined in the team's ACC opener versus Florida State. Embry ended her night with a season-high 22 points on 8-15 shooting while going 4-7 from deep. Her four three-pointers tied her career high, and it was her first 20-point game this season.

Embry scored in double digits in eight of 11 games played this season. She currently ranks second on the team in both points and rebounds (12.3 ppg / 7.4 rpg).

// HARD EARNED POINTS
Embry had a career day at the foul line against ODU as she made 10 of her 11 foul shots; both were career-highs. She followed that performance up by going a perfect 7-of-7 from the line against Western Michigan.

This season, she is 32-of-37 from the line and leads the team in foul line percentage at 86.5%, ranking 3rd in the ACC. Her 10 free throws made against ODU were the most made by a Mustang since Tiara Young went 18-22 from the stripe against Memphis last season on Jan. 1, 2024.

Nya Robertson has been money from the foul line lately, as she has made her last 21 consecutive foul shots across the team's last five games. She is 49-of-57 from the line this season. Her made free throw total ranks sixth in the ACC. She is second on the team in FT percent at 86.0%.

// SEEING DOUBLE
Jessica Peterson is currently third in the ACC in double-doubles with five. She is the only Mustang this season to record a double-double.

Peterson recorded her first career and the Mustang's first double-double of the season against N.C. A&T. She finished the game with 16 points and 11 rebounds and joined Chantae Embry and Kaysia Woods as the only Mustangs on the roster to have recorded a double-double in their careers.

// THE HILLTOP HOOPS SHOW
The Hilltop Hoops Show presented by the SMU Cox School of Business features SMU Men's Basketball Head Coach Andy Enfield and Women's Basketball Head Coach Toyelle Wilson and tipoff on Monday, Dec. 16. The next show is scheduled for Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. at Ozona Grill and Bar.

// MUSTANGS TAKE DOWN TEXAS TECH
The SMU women's basketball program rallied late and held on for a 61-57 come-from-behind victory over (rv/--) Texas Tech.

SMU found themselves in a tie game with 1:40 on the clock after trailing by six at the start of the fourth quarter. Center Jessica Peterson, who had a huge third quarter to keep the Mustangs in the game, scored the biggest basket of the night, finishing a putback layup to give SMU the lead with just over a minute left in the game.

SMU outscored Texas Tech 24-17 in the fourth. The win marked the first time since 2006 that the Mustangs have defeated Texas Tech. The Mustang's ability to control the boards led them to victory as SMU out-rebounded Texas Tech 52-28, a new season high. SMU also tied its season-high offensive rebound total with 22 and scored 21 second-chance points, including Peterson's go-ahead bucket

Peterson finished the game with a team-high 14 points and hauled in 12 rebounds for her fifth double-double this season. She scored eight of her 14 points in the third quarter and added two blocks.