SMU (1-2, 0-0 ACC) at Grand Canyon (0-4, 0-0 Mountain West)
Global Credit Union Arena  – Phoenix, Ariz.
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 – 7 p.m. CT
TV: Mountain West Network, Arizona's Family Sports | Watch
SMU Radio:  SMU Mobile App | The Varsity Network 
Gameday Central | Live Stats 
SMU Notes | Grand Canyon | ACC
SMU Basketball Yearbook | SMU Digital Game Program
Facebook | X | Instagram | YouTube
 
DALLAS (SMU) – The SMU women's basketball team continues its 50^th season in program history by heading back out on the road to face Grand Canyon inside Global Credit Union Arena on Tuesday.

The game will tip off at 7 p.m. CT and be aired on the Mountain West Network.  Fans can also listen to the action on The Varsity Network on the SMU Mobile App or follow along via live stats found here.

SMU will look to get back in the win column after dropping its last two games against Big 12 opponents Kansas State and Texas Tech. SMU is 0-1 on the road this season.

The Mustangs hit the road for the first time this season with three players averaging over 10 points per game: Tyi Skinner (15.0), Kyla Deck (11.3) and Zahra King (11.3). King and Deck are tied for the team lead in total points scored with 34.  

SMU's defense enters the game ranked  3rd in steals per game (11.3), 4^th in blocks per game (5.0) and 5th in turnovers forced per game (18.0).

On offense SMU ranks 35^th in the NCAA and third in the ACC in offensive rebounds per game (17.7) and fifth in the ACC in bench points per game 30.3.

Kyla Deck has made quite an impact on both sides of the court to start the season. Not only is she second on the team in points per game, but she also leads SMU in three pointers made with six and in total assists with eight.
Deck is second in the ACC in total steals with 13 (20^th in the NCAA) and in steals per game at 4.33 (12^th in the NCAA).

SMU has recorded double-digit steals in its first two games this season (13 vs Grambling / 12 vs K-State). It was the first time since the 2023-24 season that SMU recorded double-digit steals in back-to-back games.

SMU is 1-2 under head coach  Adia Barnes. Barnes, a former WBCA Coach of the Year Finalist and Naismith Coach of the Year Semifinalist, was named Head Women's Basketball Coach at SMU on April 5.

As SMU enters year two in the ACC, it will do so with an entirely new roster and coaching staff, signing 15 new players ahead of the 2025-26 season. Of the 15, eight players transferred in from a Power 4 institution. The Mustangs will also be one of the more experienced teams in the nation, having added eight seniors/graduate students to the roster this season.

// THE MATCH UP

• Tuesday's game will be the first over meeting between the two programs.
• GCU enters the game looking for its first win of the season as the team holds a record of 0-4.

// (ACC)OMPLISH GREATNESS

• Five ACC teams are in the Associated Press (AP) Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll.
•  AP Poll: NC State (No. 10), North Carolina (No. 11), Duke (No. 15), Notre Dame (No. 18) and Louisville (No. 22). Stanford is currently receiving votes.
• USA Today Coaches Poll: Duke (No. 6), NC State (No. 8), North Carolina (No. 11), Notre Dame (No. 13) and Louisville (No. 19). California, Florida State and Stanford are receiving votes.
• ACC teams have combined to go 31-9 to open the season, as five of those nine setbacks have come against ranked opponents.
• Through the first four days of the regular season, ACC teams have combined to play six ranked opponents, the same amount as other major conferences combined.
• Eight ACC teams were selected to compete in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. It marked the seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament in which eight ACC teams were selected, which ties the league record and is the most among all conferences in that span.
• A current ACC team has appeared in 17 of the last 18 Women's Final Fours, dating back to 2007.
• The ACC has sent at least one team to the Elite Eight in 23 consecutive tournaments, the longest active streak of any conference.

// OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION

• The Mustangs had five players reach double figures in the team's win over Grambling State, a feat only achieved twice last season. SMU defeated GSU 96-70, the most points scored in a game since SMU scored 96 against Alabama State in 2023.
• Sahnya Jah led the way with 19 points (6-9 FG), Kyla Deck was next with 18 points (4-7 3pts), followed by Grace Hall with 15 points and seven rebounds, Zahra King with a career-high 14 points and four assists and Jzaniya Harriel with 10 points and a career-high seven rebounds.

// DOMINATE DEFENSE

• SMU has forced 54 turnovers over the first two games after forcing 20 against K-State.
• The Mustangs forced 21 turnovers and recorded 13 steals against Grambling. Kyla Deck led the team with six steals, one shy of tying her career high.
• Deck's six steals were tied for the most by any ACC player in their team's season-opening game. She ranks second in the ACC in total steals with 13 (20^th in the NCAA) and in steals per game at 4.33 (12^th in the NCAA). Deck has recorded 179 steals in her career.

 // IT'S A BLOCK PARTY

• SMU has totaled 15 blocks this season, the eighth most in the ACC. The 5.0 blocks per game ranks fifth in the conference.
• SMU had seven blocks against Grambling State as Anaya Brown had three herself. It was Brown's 17^th career game with three or more blocks, as she has now totaled 136 in her career. Her four blocks this season rank seventh in the ACC.

// LETTING IT FLY

• SMU knocked down a season high 11 three pointers against Texas Tech. The team was 11-33 from behind the arc. The 33 attempts are tied for the second most in program history.
• The Mustangs have made 25 three-pointers this season, seventh in the ACC and are shooting 32.9% from beyond the arc, sixth in the conference. Deck was one of six ACC players to make four three-pointers in the first game of the season and currently leads the team with five.

// GETTING TO THE LINE

• SMU got to the line a lot against Grambling and was 28-37 from the stripe in the game. The Mustangs' 28 made free throws are the most since the team made 40 at Memphis during the 2023-24 season. SMU is averaging 28 made foul shots per game, the fifth most in the nation.
• Jah led the team, going 7-8 from the line, both career highs, and led SMU with fouls drawn with six. Anaya Brown was 5-6 (4 fouls drawn) and Zahra King was 4-5 (5 fouls drawn) from the line. Jzaniya Harriel was a perfect 4-4 from the line.

// ACTIVE CAREER LEADERS

• Tyi Skinner ranks among the highest in multiple active career leaders in NCAA Division 1.
• Skinner career rankings: 3^rd in field goal attempts (1,592), 5^th in 3-point attempts (722), 5^th total points (1,757), 5^th in made 3-point field goals (247), 10^th in games played (122), 13^th in made free throws (358), 18^th in made field goals (576), and 19^th in free throw attempts (445).