University of Memphis Athletics
University of Memphis
Massachusetts
UMass Hits Five Straight Free-Throws to Win, 51-46
Jan 04, 2003 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 4, 2003
AMHERST, Mass. - The University of Massachusetts (9-3) hit five consecutive free-throws in the last 30 seconds of the game to take a 51-46 win over The University of Memphis (6-5) in non-conference action, Saturday. The loss marked the second straight game Memphis has been held under 50 points, and this is the seventh time this season that UMass has held an opponent under the 50-point mark.
Katie Nelson hit two free-throws at the 30-second mark in the second half to break a 46-46 tie. Nelson, who hit 10 of her 12 points in the second half to help UMass overcome a 23-19 halftime deficit that followed an atrocious UMass offensive first half. The Minutewomen were held scoreless for the first 10 minutes of the game, with Cleo Foster hitting one of two free-throws with 9:56 remaining in the opening 20 minutes. At that point, Memphis was up 14-0. The 19 points the Lady Tigers allowed in the first half ties a season-low from the season-opener against Austin Peay State.
"We're kind of like an old car," Head Coach Joye-Lee McNelis said. "We get one thing fixed and another thing breaks."
Neither team was very prolific on the offensive end, with Memphis shooting 27.8 percent in the first half, while UMass shot 29.6 percent after missing their first 15 shots of the second half before stepping up to convert eight of their last 12 buckets before the half.
"Our game plan was great," McNelis said. "We did a good job boxing out in the first half and in defending (Jennifer) Butler. But in the second half we just stopped rotating on defense and we had some players who just didn't get to where they were supposed to be. We did some good things. We held them to just 2-of-7 from three-point range and their guards were averaging 11 and 10 three (attempts) a night."
Raven Rogers led the Lady Tigers with 15 points, while senior Shannon Hamp added 12 in the loss. UMass' Jennifer Butler led UMass with 15 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Nelson added 12 in the come-from-behind win.
Memphis returns home to face No. 8 Arkansas, Jan. 9th, in a 7 p.m. contest. Memphis opens its conference schedule against Saint Louis at home, Jan. 12th.
