Can SMU's record-setting scorer and tenacious defense shock undefeated Duke in historic Cameron Indoor Stadium? An epic upset looms.
The SMU women’s basketball team heads into one of college basketball’s most iconic environments on Sunday afternoon, traveling to Durham to take on No. 17 Duke inside Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. CT, and while the matchup appears daunting, the Mustangs arrive with confidence, momentum, and a player who has been rewriting the record book.
SMU enters the game at 8-15 overall and 1-10 in ACC play, but that lone conference win was a statement. The Mustangs stunned Pitt on the road behind a historic performance from Zahra King, who poured in 40 points in an 83-76 victory.
It marked SMU’s first ACC win under head coach Adia Barnes and served as proof that this group is capable of competing when everything clicks.
King has been the engine all season. The Brooklyn native leads the Mustangs with 342 total points and is averaging 14.9 points per game overall, while her production jumps to 17.2 points per contest in ACC play.
She has scored in double figures 16 times this season and has already logged three 20-point outings against conference opponents. Against Pitt, King went 7-of-12 from three-point range, tying one of the best single-game shooting performances in program history.
Anaya Brown has emerged as a steady interior presence, averaging 10.4 points and just over six rebounds per game in league play. Brown has scored in double figures in five straight games and continues to flirt with double-doubles, providing SMU with much-needed balance inside.
Paulina Paris adds another scoring threat, coming off a season-high 20-point effort against Louisville and averaging nine points per game against ACC competition.
Defensively, the Mustangs have been disruptive. SMU ranks among the ACC leaders in steals and blocks, forcing nearly 18 turnovers per game and recording double-digit steals in 14 contests this season.
That pressure-based defense will be tested against a Duke squad that sits atop the conference standings at 12-0 in league play and has won 14 straight games.
The Blue Devils are dominant at home and haven’t dropped a conference game, but SMU views Sunday as an opportunity rather than an obstacle. A win would mark the program’s first victory over a ranked opponent since 2016 and its highest-ranked road win in more than two decades.
For a Mustangs team navigating a rebuilt roster and a new coaching staff, the trip to Cameron Indoor represents another measuring stick.
With King leading the charge and SMU’s defensive intensity traveling well, Sunday offers a chance to turn heads ... and possibly rewrite another chapter in program history.