DALLAS (SMU) – Forward Anaya Brown scored a season-high 22 points as the SMU women's basketball program fell 79-42 to Virginia Tech on Thursday inside Moody Coliseum.

After a competitive first half, the injury-plagued Mustangs (7-11, 0-6 ACC) just could not keep pace with Virginia Tech (14-5, 4-3 ACC), who scored 29 points on turnovers and 40 points in the paint. SMU had a cold shooting night from the field but was efficient at the line, going 15-for-19. Virginia Tech scored over 22 points in the final two quarters.

Anaya Brown had arguably her best game of the season as she scored a season high 22 points, shooting 5-of-10 from the floor and was a perfect 10-of-10 from the line. Brown was also one rebound away from a double-double, ending the game with nine, and had two blocks and two assists.  Thirteen of her 22 points came in the second half, marking her 15^th career 20-point game.

Taking over point guard duties for the majority of the game, Zahra King finished with 10 points and two steals. Grace Hall tied her career high with four blocks in the game.

Freshman Jazzy Gipson made her first career start and hauled in a career high six rebounds in 33 minutes played. Gipson also scored her first career bucket as a Mustang on an and-1 layup.

After King started the game with a layup for the Mustangs, the Hokies went on an 8-0 run to jump out to an early lead. SMU responded with four straight points to cut the lead down to two. Va Tech ended the quarter on a 6-0 run and led by eight.

Both teams traded buckets in the second. Gipson made her first bucket on an and-1 layup. Brown got hot and scored seven points in the quarter, keeping the Mustangs within arm's length of Virginia Tech.  King ended a 6-0 run from the Hokies late in the quarter with a tough finish inside, but SMU still trailed by double digits at the half. Brown had nine of SMU's 19 points in the first half and Gipson led the way on the glass with five boards.

Virginia Tech flexed its scoring ability and opened the second half on a 9-0 run.  Brown converted a four-point play to stop the bleeding, which sparked a 7-0 run for SMU midway through the quarter and was capped by a King three-pointer. With essentially a seven-player rotation for SMU, the Hokies used their depth to their advantage by pushing the pace of play. VT went on another 8-0 run to close out the quarter and led by 24 heading into the fourth, which turned into a 15-0 run after the Hokies scored 7 straight to start the fourth.

Brown scored all nine of SMU's fourth-quarter points as Virginia Tech added 22 to its point total in the quarter to reach the game's final score.

// UP NEXT
The Mustangs continue ACC play by traveling to Pittsburgh on Sunday to face Pitt at Noon CT on ACCNX. Pitt is the only team SMU will face twice during league play, as SMU hosts Pitt on February 15 inside Moody Coliseum.

// OTHER NOTES

• In her first season at SMU, head coach Adia Barnes is now 7-11 and 176-125 overall in her career (10^th season).

// STEALS / TURNOVERS

• SMU ended the game with 7 steals.  
  • SMU entered the game ranked 3^rd in the ACC / 51^st in the NCAA in steals per game (10.8)
  • SMU has now totaled 191 steals this season.
    • Entered the game 4^th in the ACC in total steals.
• SMU forced 15 turnovers
  • SMU has now forced 318 turnovers this season
    • Entered the game 6^th in the ACC in turnovers forced per game (17.8).

// FREE THROWS

• SMU was 15-19 from the line
  • It was SMU's seventh game this season with 15 or more made free throws
    • Mustangs entered the game 7^th in the ACC in free throw attempts per game (17.9) and 9^th in the ACC in free throws made per game (12.3).

// OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS

• SMU had 9 offensive rebounds
  • SMU entered the game 9^th in the ACC in offensive rebounds per game (12.5)

// BENCH POINTS

• SMU had 6 bench points
  • Entered the game 6^th in the ACC / 86^th in the NCAA in bench points per game (23.4).

// BLOCKS

• SMU had 6 blocks
  • Entered the game 6^th in the ACC / 58^th in the NCAA in blocks per game (4.3)

// STARTERS  
Starters: Jazzy Gipson (#6, G, Fr.), Zahra King (#2, G, So.), Ayanna Thompson (1, G, Sr.), Anaya Brown (4, F, Sr.), Grace Hall (#7, F, R-Sr.)