Game Book
DALLAS (SMU) – In a back-and-forth game that saw the lead change 10 times, the SMU women's basketball program fell 58-55 to North Texas on Saturday inside Moody Coliseum.

SMU (1-4, 0-0 ACC) held the advantage leading after halftime, but the game was tied heading into the fourth quarter, waiting for a team to grab control. North Texas (4-1, 0-0 The American) held a four-point lead with 4:45 left to play.

Back-to-back buckets from Ayanna Thompson brought the game back to even once again with 3:30 left in the game. After a UNT bucket, Paulina Paris tied the game at the line with just over two minutes remaining, but a couple of missed three-point attempts from the Mustangs allowed UNT to push the lead back to three.

Trailing by three with four seconds left, SMU forced a turnover and had one more shot to tie the game but was unable to even the score one last time.

SMU shot 31% from the floor, forced 23 turnovers, recorded 13 steals and did not allow UNT to make a three-pointer the entire game. It was the fourth game this season the Mustangs finished with double-digit steals.

North Texas was 20-28 from the line while shooting 35% from the floor in the game, and held the advantage in total rebounds, 42-39. Aysia Proctor led all scorers with 16 points.
Paris led the Mustangs with 12 points, shooting 4-of-8 from the field and recorded a season high four steals.

Miriam Ibezim, who had her first start of the season, recorded a career high 14 rebounds, seven offensive and seven defensive rebounds.

Ayanna Thompson, Kyla Deck and Tyi Skinner all scored eight points in the game. Deck also recorded five steals, her second game of five or more steals this season.
SMU started hot and led 19-15 at the end of the first quarter as SMU was 4-of-7 from beyond the arc in the period.

UNT came out swinging in the second quarter, going on a 9-0 run. The Mustangs responded with a 7-0 run of their own, highlighted by an Ibezim steal and score, as SMU led by one heading into halftime.

Both teams traded buckets left and right in the third quarter, but UNT was able to tie the game at the end of the period.

// UP NEXT
The Mustangs travel to Nashville, Tennessee next week to compete in the Music City Classic. SMU will play St. Louis on Tuesday, Nov. 25, at 1:15 pm, then face Winthrop on Wednesday Nov. 26 at 3:30 pm. Both games will be streamed on BallerTV, more information on the tournament can be found here. 

// OTHER NOTES

• In her first season at SMU, head coach Adia Barnes is now 1-4 and 170-118 overall in her career (10^th season)
• SMU is now 1-2 at home
• The Mustangs are now 34-22 all-time against UNT and 22-7 when the game is played in Dallas.  Tuesday's game was the 56^th meeting between the two schools.

// // STEALS / TURNOVERS

• SMU ended the game with 13 steals.
  • SMU has recorded double-digit steals in four of its five games this season.
  • Kyla Deck had a team high five steals and now has 15 steals this season. She entered the game 2^nd in the ACC in steals per game (3.5). 
• SMU entered the game ranked 2nd in the ACC in steals per game (12.5)
• SMU forced a season high 23 turnovers
  • The team has now forced 20 or more turnovers in four games this season.
  • SMU has now forced 97 turnovers this season
    • Entered the game fifth in the ACC in turnovers forced per game (18.0).

// BLOCKS

• SMU had 5 blocks
• Anaya Brown led SMU with three.
• Mustangs entered the game 4^th in ACC / 39^th in the NCAA in blocked shots (5.3).

// BENCH POINTS

• SMU had 25 bench points
  • Entered the game 3^rd in the ACC / 36^th in the NCAA in bench points (31.5).

// INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• Starters: Tyi Skinner (#3, G, Gr.), Zahra King (#2, G, So.), Kyla Deck (12, G, Sr.) Anaya Brown (#4, F, Sr.), Miriam Ibezim (#33, F, Sr.) – 1^st game with this lineup this season.