SMU (3-5, 0-0 ACC) vs Arkansas (7-2, 0-0 SEC) - ACC/SEC CHALLENGE
David B. Miller Court at Moody Coliseum – Dallas, Texas
Thursday, December 4, 2025 – 6 p.m. CT
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DALLAS (SMU) – The SMU women's basketball team continues its 50^th season in program history by hosting Arkansas as part of the annual ACC/SEC Challenge on Thursday at 6 p.m. inside Moody Coliseum. The game will air on ACCN and fans can also listen to the game live on the SMU Mobile App or follow along via live stats found here.

Thursday is also Peruna's Birthday. To celebrate the best mascot in the land, SMU will be hosting his birthday party in the Miller Club prior to tip-off. Fans can stop by to enjoy cupcakes and take a photo with Peruna.  It is also Thirsty Thursday in Moody,  half-off all drinks pregame (not available at self-serve concession stands) and Peruna Bobblehead Giveaway day, arrive early to collect the next bobblehead in this year's set.

Season and single-game tickets for the 2025-26 season are available now and can be purchased here. For the first time this season, fans can also purchase an 8-Game Flex Pass. Use all eight at one game or spread them out however you like across the season. More information on all ticket options can be found here. For any ticket questions, please contact 214-SMU-GAME or email tickets@smu.edu.

Thursday will also be SMU's second season participating in the ACC/SEC Challenge. The Challenge begins on Wednesday, November 3, with seven games and concludes on Thursday, November 4, with nine matchups. The ACC is 13-17 in the two seasons of the ACC-SEC Challenge.

The Mustangs will look to extend their current winning streak to three after defeating Southern Miss 83-70 last time out. Zahra King led SMU with 23 points while Mirima Ibezim recorded her first double-double of the season.

Seven games into the season, the Mustangs have four players averaging over nine points per game: Tyi Skinner (14.8), Zahra King (14.6), Sahnya Jah (9.0) and Kyla Deck (9.3).

King leads SMU in points scored with 117 total points and is coming off scoring a career high of 23 against Southern Miss.  She has scored in double figures in six of the team's eight games this season, including three straight 14-point or more outings.
King has been incredibly efficient, shooting 56.1% from the field. Her field goal percentage ranks sixth in the ACC, and her 46 made field goals rank eighth in the conference.

After missing a couple of games to begin the season, Tyi Skinner scored her first 20-point game of the season as she dropped 27 points against Winthrop. She followed that outing with an 18-point, five-assist performance against Southern Miss. Skinner ranks 10th in the ACC in points per game (14.8).

SMU's defense has been causing havoc for other teams this season as the Mustangs rank second in the ACC / 53^rd in the NCAA in steals per game at 11.5. SMU also ranks fifth in the ACC / 39^th in the NCAA in blocks per game (4.9) and fifth in the ACC in turnovers forced per game (19.38).

On offense, SMU ranks third in the ACC in offensive rebounds per game (15.3) and sixth in the ACC in bench points per game (27.5.) SMU has had four games with 30+ points off the bench and four games with over 30 points in the paint.

Kyla Deck has made quite an impact on both sides of the court to start the season. Not only is she third on the team in points per game, but she also leads SMU in total assists with 18.

Deck is third in the ACC in total steals with 29 (7^th in the NCAA) in steals per game at 3.63 (15^th in the NCAA). Deck is coming off her second six-steal game of the season against Winthrop.

SMU has recorded double-digit steals in all but two game this season. The Mustangs' six games with double-digit steals are already the most in a single season since the 2023-24 year (9), and the team's 84 steals in the first seven games was the most since the team had 89 during the 2012-13 season. The Mustangs are fourth in the ACC in total steals with 92.

The Mustangs forced 22 turnovers against Winthrop, the fifth time this season they have forced 20 or more. It is the fifth straight season with five games achieving the feat, and if the team were to get one more, it would be the most games with 20 or more turnovers forced since the 2019-20 season (12).

SMU is 3-5 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

• Thursday's game will be the 29th time SMU and Arkansas have faced each other and the first since 2021.
• The former Southwest Conference opponents haven't met since 2021, with Arkansas winning the last two matchups. SMU last victory over Arkansas came in 2010 when the Mustangs defeated Arkansas 76-71 in Moody Coliseum.
• Arkansas enters the game with a record of 7-2 after falling 69-51 to Harvard at home last time out. SMU enters the game on a two-game winning streak and is 2-2 at home.

// (ACC)OMPLISH GREATNESS

• ACC teams have combined to register 98 victories this season.
• The ACC has played 19 games against AP Top 25 opponents this season, the most of any Division I conference (next closest is the Big Ten with 16).
•  Three ACC teams are in the latest Associated Press (AP) Poll: North Carolina (No. 11), Notre Dame (No. 18) and Louisville (No. 22). NC State and Stanford are receiving votes.
• Four ACC teams appear in the latest USA Today Coaches Poll: North Carolina (No. 10), Notre Dame (No. 19), Louisville (No. 21) and NC State (No. 25). Duke and Stanford are receiving votes.
• The ACC currently has nine teams in the top 50 of the NET: North Carolina (No. 12), Louisville (No. 14), Stanford (No. 22), Notre Dame (No. 33), Virginia (No. 34), NC State (No. 39), Syracuse (No. 44) and Miami (No. 49). Duke and Virginia Tech are just outside the top 50 at No. 51 and No. 53, respectively.

// DYNAMIC DUO

• Zahra King and Tyi Skinner have been on a tear recently, averaging 14.8 and 14.6 points per game, respectively. The duo is one of two ACC schools to have two or more players average over 14 points per game (Notre Dame, Hannah Hidalgo / Cassandre Prosper).
• King has scored in double figures in three straight games, including scoring a career high 23 points last time out, and is averaging over 18 ppg in the stretch.
• Skinner scored 27 points against Winthrop. It was her 34th career 20-point game as she made five 3-pointers and currently leads SMU in 3-pointers made with 12. She is also 14-of-15 from the line over her last three games.

// SMU SURGES PAST SOUTHERN MISS

• SMU shot 46% from the field in the game and had four players in double figures for the third time this season en route to an 83-70 win over Southern Miss.
• The Mustangs were dialed in at the line, making 23-of-28 free throw attempts. SMU out-rebounded the Golden Eagles 40-28 and also held the advantage on bench points scored (19-7).
• Zahra King, scored a career-high 23 points, 14 of which came in the second half. King shot 8-of-14 from the field and was a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, tying her career high for most made in a game. The sophomore was also 4-of-5 from the line and had two steals.
• Tyi Skinner scored 18 points and totaled a season-high five assists. Skinner was 7-of-8 from the line and scored 11 points in the second half.
• Miriam Ibezim recorded her first double-double of the season and the second of her career as she totaled 10 points and 10 rebounds. Ibezim was a perfect 5-of-5 from the field in the game.
• Kyla Deck finished her night with 11 points, going 4-of-4 from the line, and had two steals. Anaya Brown also chipped in nine points and seven rebounds.

// OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION

• SMU has had three games with four or more players reaching double figures.
• 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 137 turnovers this season and has forced 20 or more in six games this season.
• Against Winthrop, SMU forced 22 turnovers and had 10 steals, while Kyla Deck led the way with six. It was her third game with five or more steals this season.
• Deck ranks third in the ACC in total steals with 29 (7^th in the NCAA) and in steals per game at 3.86 (15^th in the NCAA). Deck has recorded 195 steals in her career.
• The Mustangs forced a season high 24 turnovers and recorded a season high 16 steals against GCU. Four mustangs finished with three steals in the game.
• Deck recorded six steals against Grambling State, which was tied for the most by any ACC player in their team's season-opening game.

 // IT'S A BLOCK PARTY

• SMU has totaled 39 blocks this season, the third most in the ACC. The team's 4.8 blocks per game ranks fifth in the conference.
• SMU had seven blocks against Grambling State, six against GCU and five versus North Texas. Anaya Brown leads the team in total blocks with 12.
• Brown has three games this season with three blocks and has totaled 19 career games with three or more. She has now totaled 145 blocks in her career. Her 13 blocks this season rank fifth in the ACC, and her 1.6 blocks per game rank fifth in the conference.

// 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 49 three-pointers this season, while Tyi Skinner leads the team with 12 made. Zahra King is shooting 50% from beyond the arc this season.

// GETTING TO THE LINE

• The Mustangs have made it a point of emphasis to get to the line recently. The team was 23-of-28 (82%) from the line against Southern Miss. Tyi Skinner (7-8), Zahra King (4-5) and Kyla Deck (4-4) led the way at the stripe.
• 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.

// ACTIVE CAREER LEADERS

• Tyi Skinner ranks inside the top 10 in several NCAA Division 1 active career leader categories.  
• Skinner career rankings:6^th in total points (1,831), 5^th in 3-pointers made (256), 8^th in games played (127), 3^rd in field goal attempts (1,660) and 5^th in 3-point field goal attempts (753)