Women’s Basketball Rolls To 72-36 Win Over ECU

Saturday, January 6

Memphis, Tenn.

12:00 PM

University of Memphis

6-9, 1-1AAC

ECU

8-8, 0-3AAC

ECU

Memphis

Photo by: Brandon Dill

Jan 06, 2018 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Creighton posts ninth double-double, Elmore adds team-high 22 points

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – An explosive first quarter carried over for the entirety of the contest as the University of Memphis women's basketball team defeated ECU Saturday afternoon by a score of 72-36. Memphis improves to 6-9 on the year and 1-1 in American Athletic Conference play with a road trip to Wichita State and Tulsa coming up next week.

How It Happened
Memphis stormed out to a solid start against the Pirates, scoring a season-high 23 points in the first quarter. Cheyenne Creighton played a crucial role in the first as she went 3-for-3 from the field including a three-pointer just over a minute and a half into the game.

In addition to the high-paced offense Memphis executed in the first half, the Tiger defense was on lock down against ECU. The 15 points ECU scored in the first 20 minutes was a season-low for an offense that scores over 65 points per game.

Creighton continued her hot shooting in the second quarter, finishing the first half with a team-high 14 points including a 2-for-2 effort beyond the arc.

Memphis maintained its pressure on ECU throughout the rest of the contest. With 3:44 left in the game, a lay-up by freshman Alana Davis put the Tigers up by 40, their largest lead of the day. The 36-point victory proved to be the largest margin of victory for Memphis this season.

Turning Point
Memphis jumped out in front of the Pirates from the start with a 9-0 run. The Tigers went on to outscore ECU 23-9 in the first quarter and never looked back.

Notables

Cheyenne Creighton hit a pair of three-pointers, putting her season total to a career-high six made three's.
Memphis allowed just nine points in the first quarter, which was the lowest ECU had scored in the first quarter all season.
Memphis' 23 points in the first quarter was the first time this season the Tigers scored at least 20 in the first quarter.
Creighton finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds for her ninth double-double this season. She's also now 27 points shy of reaching 1,000 in her career and it was the fourth 20-plus point performance of the season.
Brea Elmore scored a team-high 22 points, which included three made baskets from beyond the arc. She has scored at least 20 points in six games this year.
Memphis improved to 5-3 at home and has now won five out of the last six contests.
Every Tiger scored for Memphis including two with 20-plus points. This is the first game since Dec. 11, 2016 (at SIU) that Memphis has had two players score at least 20 points.
Memphis outrebounded ECU, 44-36. Every player recorded a rebound for Memphis.
The Tigers finished with 20 assists on 28 made baskets. The 20 assists matched the season-high set against Tennessee State in the home opener.
Taylor Barnes matched her career-high with eight assists. She also had 22 points and a team-high three steals.

Melissa McFerrin Quotable
I'm just really pleased. I'm really proud of the players as they had a goal after the UConn game to really get after these next three. Tonight, they showed they are serious about it. The players just really bought in and played hard.

Next Up For The Tigers
The Tigers now hit the road for the next two games, beginning with Wichita State on January 10. The game can be heard on 91.7 FM WUMR and for more information on the Memphis women's basketball team, follow the Tigers on Twitter at @MemphisWBB.