Women’s Basketball Begins Road Trip with SMU Wednesday Night

cousin oliver · January 17

DENTON, Texas – The UNT women's basketball team (13-3, 3-1 AAC) is set to make the short trip to Dallas to take on SMU Wednesday night at 7 p.m. CT in Moody Coliseum.

The Mean Green have won three consecutive conference games to move them into a tie for third place in the AAC. Their last time out, they overcame an 18-point deficit in the second half to top Wichita State, 72-68. It was the second-largest deficit faced this season and the program’s largest comeback win since 2018.

DesiRay Kernal, Tommisha Lampkin and Dyani Robinson led the comeback as they combined to score 30 points in the fourth quarter, while Wichita State was held to 15 points as a team. Kernal finished with 21 points and nine rebounds in the win, leading to her fourth weekly conference honor of the season.

In order to extend its winning streak, North Texas will have to defeat SMU in Moody Coliseum, something it has not done in its last 17 attempts, dating back to 1989. SMU

Wednesday's game will be streamed on ESPN+ with John Liddle and Brian Burton on the call. The game can also be heard on the Varsity Sports Network app with Zac Babb and Michelle Brooks.

WHAT 2 WATCH 4
• North Texas hits the road to start a two-game road trip beginning with SMU on Wednesday night.

• The Mean Green sit in third place in the AAC at 3-1 only behind Charlotte and UAB who each have a 4-1 mark in conference play.

• DesiRay Kernal earned her fourth weekly conference honor of the season as she was named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll on Jan. 15. She was named to the list for her performance against Wichita State that included 21 points and nine rebounds.

• The Mean Green are looking to win in a place they have struggled at for decades. The last time they won at SMU was in 1989.

SERIES HISTORY
• SMU is the most-played opponent in program history with Wednesday’s contest being the 53rd meeting of the series.

• UNT trails in the all-time series, 19-33.

• The teams have met at least one time in every season since 1976, except for in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.

• UNT is 5-22 in away games against SMU.

• This will be the first meeting as conference foes in the series history.

LAMPKIN AS OF LATE
• Tommisha Lampkin has been a dominant force in the paint this season, but even more so since the start of AAC play.

• She has scored 16 or more points in four of her last five games, with three of those coming against conference opponents.

• While her ability to score is impressive, her efficiency is what makes her stand out. She is shooting a career high 66.4% that ranks No. 4 in the country among individual players.

• Lampkin is one of just six players nationally to have at least seven games in which she scores 15 or more points and shoots 70% or better from the field in those games. The other players include Ayoka Lee, Alissa Pili, Yvonne Ejim, Reagan Beers and Mackenzie Holmes.

NEVER COUNT OUT THE MEAN GREEN
• North Texas overcame an 18-point deficit in the second half in its 72-68 win over Wichita State Sunday.

• It was the program’s largest comeback win since Feb. 22, 2018 when the Mean Green rallied from 18 points down against Old Dominion.

• DesiRay Kernal, Dyani Robinson and Tommisha Lampkin combined for all 30 of UNT’s points in the fourth quarter and outscored Wichita State 30-15.

UNTLifer · January 17

smuT women's notes:

8-8 record, 2-3 in conference.

Wins against Southern Nazarene, UC Riverside, Alabama St., Nichols, LA Tech, Sam Houston, Air Force, FAU and Memphis. Guessing the win against So. Naz. was an exhibition.

Losses to #5 Colorado by 15, Toledo by 1, Harvard by 13, #13 Baylor by 16, UAPB by 2, USF by 9 and Rice by 2.

6-4 at Moody.

5'9" G Tiara Young is their leading scorer at 19.0 per game.

Amirah Abdur-Rahim (6'3") at 10.9 per game and Ella Brow at 10.0 per game are the only other two players averaging double digits.

Three players average in the nine points per game range, Chantae Embry (9.8), Tamia Jones (9.6) and Reagan Bradley (9.3).

Abdur Rahim is their leading rebounder at 6.3 per game, followed by Young at 5.8, Brow 5.0 and Embry 4.9

They average 71.8 pts. per game and give up 67.2.

They shoot 44% from the field, 36% from three and 69.5% from the line.

They outrebound their opponents by a half a board per game, 37.8 to 37.3.

They turn the ball over 15 times a game, create 8.3 steals and 3.1 blocks.

They suck.