CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (Interstat) — A surging North Carolina women’s basketball team will look to continue its push near the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference standings when it hosts struggling SMU on Thursday night at the Dean Smith Center. The Tar Heels (20-5) have won seven consecutive games, most recently an 84-56 road rout of Wake Forest on Sunday. Sophomore guard Nyla Brooks led the way in that victory, scoring a career-high 21 points and grabbing seven rebounds in just 25 minutes. Brooks has provided a scoring spark off the bench, averaging 12.3 points over her last three appearances. They face an SMU squad mired in a difficult season. The Mustangs (8-16) have lost five of their last six games, including a 95-36 defeat at Duke on Sunday. In that lopsided loss, forward Grace Hall managed nine points and seven rebounds. Hall has been a consistent presence for SMU, averaging 8.2 points and 4.7 rebounds over her last six contests, though the team has gone 1-5 in that stretch. North Carolina’s defense has been the cornerstone of its win streak, holding opponents to an average of 55.1 points during the seven-game run. The Tar Heels also boast balanced scoring, with Indya Nivar dishing out seven assists against Wake Forest and Nyla Harris adding 19 points. SMU, conversely, has struggled offensively, failing to reach 70 points in 10 of its last 11 games. Their lone win in the past month was an 83-76 victory at Pittsburgh on Jan. 18, where Hall posted 10 points and seven rebounds. This is the first meeting between the programs as ACC opponents. The Tar Heels are heavily favored, but will be wary of a letdown before a pivotal rivalry game at Duke on Sunday. SMU seeks a monumental road upset to build momentum before returning home to face Pittsburgh. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.