University of Memphis Athletics
University of Memphis
Kentucky
Cold-Shooting Second Half Dooms Lady Tigers Against Kentucky
Dec 30, 2006 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 30, 2006
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Memphis (3-11) shot 50 percent in the opening half, but managed just four field goals in the second half in a 86-51 loss to Kentucky (10-3) on the second day of the Wells Fargo New Years Classic, Saturday, to close out non-conference schedule.
After being outscored 20-8 in the paint in the first half against UT-San Antonio, the Lady Tigers had an even more formidable task Saturday as 6-6 Sarah Elliott and 6-3 Jennifer Humphrey teamed up to help Kentucky outscore the Lady Tigers 30-16 in the paint in the opening 20 minutes. The first half lead that Kentucky built behind their inside play held up in the second half as Memphis shot just 16.7 percent in the final 20 minutes. In all, Kentucky would outscore Memphis 56-18 in the paint.
"Four buckets in the entire second half will definitely stall your offense," head coach Blair Savage-Lansden said. "I think we had good looks and took good shots, but when they stopped falling, we just kind of went in to a freeze mode and we let the physical play start to distract us."
Memphis found success early running with the Wildcats, as a pair of field goals from Devin Necaise gave Memphis a quick 5-4 lead. By the time the first media timeout rolled around, Memphis had an 11-8 lead. After that first timeout, Kentucky tried to get back inside, but a balanced Memphis offense, getting points from five different players in the first eight minutes, helped the Lady Tigers carry an 18-16 lead in to the under 12 minute media timeout.
But as the Memphis defense adjusted for the lineup that included Elliott and Humphrey, point guard Carly Ormerod burned her Lady Tiger defender on back-to-back trips to tie the game at 18 all with 10:47 remaining in the half. Memphis would knot the score at 20 all on a turnaround jumper from Alysse Davis, but Memphis was whistled for a majority of its 11 first half turnovers due to travels on the offensive end. The turnovers held the Lady Tiger offense to just four field goals in the final five minutes of the second half and allowed Kentucky to take a 45-34 lead in to the locker room.
Alysse Davis and Aroha Jennings would each finish with 10 points, while Devin Necaise added nine points in the loss.
Memphis returns home to host UAB in its Conference USA opener, Tuesday, at 7 p.m. in the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. That game will be camper reunion night, where all campers from the summer of 2006 will receive free admission. That game is also jersey night, where anyone wearing a jersey will receive free admission. The UAB game kicks off three straight home games in league play for Memphis.
NOTES Coming in to Saturday's game, Kentucky had held its opponents to under 50 or fewer points in each of the last five games. Memphis managed 51 points despite the cold-shooting second half.
