University of Memphis Athletics
University of Memphis
5-5
Tennessee Tech
3-6
Tigers Take Down Tennessee Tech in Double-Overtime, 78-76
Dec 14, 2013 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 14, 2013
Memphis 78, Tennessee Tech 76
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - -
After Tennessee Tech's (3-6) Diamond Henderson scored a game-tying bucket in double overtime with 6.3 seconds left, Memphis (5-5) quickly inbounded the ball to Ariel Hearn, who drove up the floor and drew a pair of defenders, then looped a pass ahead to Mooriah Rowser. Rowser drove at the bucket, before a defender recovered and forced her under the backboard, but Rowser waited for the defender to fly out of bounds and converted the bucket with 00.9 left on the clock in a 78-76 double overtime Memphis victory, Saturday. The double overtime game was the first in Memphis women's basketball history and gives Melissa McFerrin her 100th career victory at the helm of the Tigers' team. Memphis also improves to 2-1 in overtime games this season.
"What a great win. It was hard-fought," McFerrin said. "We didn't play particularly great during a lot of the game, but we had some very clutch performances, starting number one, with Ariel Hearn hitting a pair of clutch threes during a stretch we really needed it. Asianna Fuqua-Bey was just outstanding. Mooriah Rowser, one of the things I was really pleased with was any time we go down on a short clock, we want to get the ball out of bounds quickly and push the ball up the floor and that's exactly what Ariel and Mooriah did and that shot was a nice finish to the game."
Memphis led at the half, 33-32, after eight first half points from Asianna Fuqua-Bey. Memphis got out-worked on the defensive glass early, as Tennessee Tech turned 10 offensive rebounds in to 12 second chance points, building a seven point lead at 19-12 with 10:21 left in the opening stanza. But Fuqua-Bey turned up the intensity on the offensive end, scoring back-to-back buckets to start a 9-2 Memphis run. Devin Mack followed those buckets with a triple, forcing a Tennessee Tech timeout, before Breigha Wilder-Cochran stepped to the line and knocked down a pair of free-throws to tie the game at 21 with 7:59 left. Memphis then gave up back-to-back offensive rebounds off missed free throws for TTU, who used the charity stripe to retake the lead and build a four point lead at 25-21.
But freshman Taylor Williams drained her first triple of the night and when an Ariel Hearn steal in the paint was pushed ahead to Mooriah Rowser, Memphis had cut the deficit to one at 27-26. Again, Wilder-Cochran would knock down free-throws with the lead on the line, giving Memphis a 28-27 lead with a pair of made foul shots. But TTU beat the Tiger defense down the floor, and Hannah Goolsby drained a three-point field goal standing right in front of Memphis head coach Melissa McFerrin. The ensuing media timeout was a lively one, and Memphis responded with a gritty final four minutes, again retaking the lead with another layup from Fuqua-Bey.
The second half was another tight affair and Henderson hit the game-tying bucket with 16 seconds left in regulation. Memphis got two good looks from Williams and Rowser, but could not convert, and went in to overtime for a third time this season.
The first overtime started the Tigers off on the wrong foot. Memphis was without senior center Pa'Sonna Hope, who had fouled out with a little more than two minutes left in regulation, and would lose Wilder-Cochran to her fifth personal foul with 1:34 left. The Tigers trailed by a pair when Fuqua-Bey knocked down a pair of free throws to tie the game for the 10th time. TTU would answer with a layup from T'Keyah Williams to take a 68-66 lead with 1:06 left in the first overtime session, but Hearn stepped up and drilled her third three-point field goal of the night to push the Tigers up 69-68. But Swain was whistled for her fifth personal foul on the next trip down the floor and Shunice Herron recovered from missing her first free throw to knock down the second and send the game in to it 11th tie at 69-69 and set up the double-overtime session.
Fuqua-Bey and Williams posted career highs in the win. Fuqua-Bey finished with 21 points on 6-for-9 shooting and 9-for-10 shooting from the free-throw line, while Wiliams chipped in 10 points for her first career double-digit scoring game. Fuqua-Bey's 21 points were matched by Hearn, and Rowser chipped in 10 points, including the eventual game-winning bucket with 00.9 left on the clock. The balanced Tiger offensive effort offset a rebounding deficit. The Tigers were out-rebounded by Tennessee Tech 56-37 and gave up 32 second chance points off 28 TTU offensive rebounds.
Memphis returns home to host a pair of non-conference games before the team breaks for a short holiday break. The Tigers host Mississippi Valley State, Wednesday, at 7 p.m. at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse, then close out the non-conference schedule against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Friday, at 7 p.m.
