University of Memphis Athletics
University of Memphis
2-3, 0-0AAC
Southern Illinois
2-1, 0-0MVC
Tigers Drop Third Straight Game
Nov 26, 2014 | Women's Basketball
CARBONDALE, Ill. - A first half 10-point deficit proved insurmountable in a 82-75 loss at Southern Illinois (2-1) for the University of Memphis women's basketball team (2-3). The loss is the third straight for the Tigers, who return home Saturday morning to start a three-game home stand.
"I said it last game and I'm saying it again tonight, we need our upperclassmen to grow up a bit," Head Coach Melissa McFerrin said. "I am in some of that, but we started with such low energy and Southern Illinois got off to a great start. And as the game went on, they just got more and more confident, and we just stood aside and expected someone else to make the play that would swing the momentum."
Memphis gave up six first half triples and built a 46-36 halftime deficit. Both teams shot 50 percent or more in the opening half, but it was the six first half SIU triples that kept the Tigers at bay.
With the outside game clicking, SIU went inside to Missouri Valley Conference pre-season all-conference post Dvanna Pierre and Pierre made the Tigers pay. She finished with 23 points and 15 rebounds, adding two blocks in 38 minutes and shot 10-for-13 from the floor.
Memphis tried to cut the halftime lead, and managed to cut the second half deficit to three with 10:45 remaining after a pair of Breigha Wilder-Cochran free-throws, but SIU went right back inside and used a 15-4 run to push their cushion back to double-digits at 73-59 with 5:50 left in the game.
The Tigers tried full court traps in the late minutes of the game to generate some turnovers and some three-point looks, but were held to 0-for-5 from beyond the arc in the second half and were just 33.3 percent from the floor while SIU shot 52.2 percent in the second half to pick up the home opening win.
Ariel Hearn led Memphis with 23 points and Mooriah Rowser added her first career double-double of 13 points an 10 rebounds in the loss. Asia Fuqua-Bey came off the bench after missing most of the first half to finish with 10 starts. Fuqua-Bey missed her first start in 54 games. Junior forward Courtney Powell started in her place for Powell's first career start.
Memphis returns home to face a hot UALR team on Saturday morning. UALR is off to a 4-0 start for the first time in school history and knocked off No. 25 LSU on the road to start their season. The tip time for that game has been moved to 11 a.m. Saturday to avoid a conflict with the Tiger football game. Fans with a Memphis football ticket can come check out the women's basketball game for free by showing their football ticket at the door.
Notes
- Mooriah Rowser scored double digits for a fifth straight game; a career-long double digit scoring streak. She posted her first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. The 10 rebounds was a career high.
- Courtney Powell made her first career start
- Ariel Hearn led Memphis with 23 points, her 18th career game with 20 or more points.
