The SMU women’s basketball team comes into the 2015-2016 season hoping to return to its winning ways. With six sophomores and five juniors, the Mustangs have more experience and a real opportunity to be competitive coming off of a tough year.
The 2014-2015 season saw SMU accumulate a 7-23 overall record, including a 3-15 record in American Athletic Conference play. The team ranked top-five nationally in percentage of minutes played by freshmen, which will help this season, but certainly affected the quality of play last year.
The Mustangs will play 11 games before AAC play begins, starting with the Nov. 15 season opener against Northwestern State University. In the Thanksgiving Classic, SMU will play California State University, Fullerton Nov. 27, followed by either University of Kansas or Northern Illinois University Nov. 28.
After final exams, the team will play three straight games against University of Arizona, Gardner-Webb University and Mississippi State University in the Puerto Rico Classic. Conference play will begin Jan. 2 against University of Tulsa.
Players to Watch:
Alicia Froling (Sophomore; Queensland, Australia):
Froling is a 6’3” forward who started 28 games for the Mustangs last season and played in all 30, averaging 28.5 minutes. She led the team and was 16th in the AAC with 11.5 points per game, scoring at least 10 points 20 times. She also posted five double-doubles and set an SMU freshman-record with 54 blocks. She was named to the AAC All-Freshman Team.
After her successful freshman season, Froling participated in training camp for the Australian Under-19 JAYCO Gems and scored 20 points for Australia against the United States in an exhibition game for the 2015 FIBA U19 Women’s World Championship. This added experience should help her lead SMU this season.
Kiara Perry (Junior; Duncanville, Texas):
Perry played 20 games at guard last season before being sidelined with a back injury. She led the team with 30.4 minutes per game and was a significant contributor with 7.9 points per game. As a freshman, she was named to the AAC All-Freshman team. The Mustangs will have her back this season and she should be an important starter.
Morgan Bolton (Junior; Duncanville, Texas):
Bolton is a 5’6” guard who started 26 times last season. She averaged 5.9 points per game and led the team in assists with 73. She was also the Mustangs’ most reliable three-point shooter. Last season, Bolton took on a much more important role after a freshman season in which she only started one game. Bolton will look to improve once again and remain an important starter for this SMU team.
Gabrielle Wilkens (Senior; Garland, Texas):
Wilkens has consistently improved from season to season in her time as a Mustang. Last season, she started 23 games at guard and averaged 8.4 points per game. She was third on the team in assists and played an important role on the defensive end, accumulating 35 steals and grabbing 4.8 rebounds per game. This season, Wilkens figures to start alongside Bolton in the backcourt.
Keely Froling (Sophomore; Queensland, Australia):
Froling started 16 games last season, averaging five points and 5.3 rebounds per game. With the loss of starting forward Destynee Hives-McCray, Froling will likely see more playing time and a majority of starts alongside her twin sister this season. She is expected to score more points and be a consistent contributor on both sides of the floor.
