University of Memphis Athletics
University of Memphis
USF
@MemphisWBKB Opening Conference Road Play Wednesday at USF
Dec 29, 2014 | Women's Basketball
The University of Memphis women's basketball team (6-6, 0-1 The American) will close the calendar year on the road in its first league game of the season, facing USF (10-3, 1-0), Wednesday, at 3 p.m. (ET) in the Sun Dome.
Series History -- Tigers vs USF
This is the 18th meeting between Memphis and USF. The Tigers lead the overall series, 12-5, but have lost three in a row in the series meeting, including both contests last season, both team's first year in the American Athletic Conference.
In the first meeting with the Bulls in the Elma Roane Fieldhouse, USF scored 34 of their 71 points in the paint, riding a 48-40 rebounding advantage to their 12th win of the season.
In the rematch between the two teams in Tampa, it was the three-point line where the Bulls did their damage, knocking down eight triples, including six of nine shooting from Inga Orekhova. Orekhova finished with 33 points in that 91-68 win over the Tigers. Ariel Hearn scored 21 points, but again, the Bulls held a sizeable advantage in paint points, 46-26.
Double-Double for Wright
With the Tigers' guards struggling to score, Memphis looked to its posts for some offensive help in the Temple game. Junior forward Brianna Wright stepped up with a season-best 18 points on 8-for-13 shooting. She also added 14 rebounds for her third double-double of the season and her fifth double-digit rebounding night.
Tiger Double-Doubles
Brianna Wright vs. Missouri State, 11 pts, 16 reb (11/14/14)
Courtney Powell vs. Samford, 11 pts, 11 reb (11/16/14)
Mooriah Rowser vs. SIU, 13 pts, 10 reb (11/26/14)
Brianna Wright vs. UALR, 14 pts, 16 reb (11/29/14)
Asia Fuqua-Bey vs. MVSU, 12 pts, 12 reb (12/19/14)
Brianna Wright vs. Temple, 18 pts, 14 reb. (12/28/14)
Double Double-Digit Rebounding
The Temple game marked the second time this year that the Tigers have had two players post double-digit rebounds. In addition to Brianna Wright's 14 rebounds against Temple, Asianna Fuqua-Bey added 12 rebounds, her second consecutive double-digit rebounding night of the season.
The last time Memphis had two players with double digit rebounds before the Temple game? Another game where Memphis had a halftime lead, but lost -- Minnesota.
Getting Over the Hump in Close Games
A young Tiger squad is still learning how to pull out close games. Of the Tigers' six losses, five have been by single digits, including the one-point loss to Temple on Sunday night. Those five Memphis single digit losses have added up to a combined 23 points.
Memphis is 2-5 in single-digit games. The Tigers' last win by single digits? The 62-61 win over Central Michigan.
Getting on the Glass
Against Temple in the conference opener, Memphis led the top offensive-rebounding team in the league to 12 offensive boards and out-rebounded the Owls, 46-35.
The Tigers will have to think box out again in their conference road opener, as USF features two of the best rebounders in the country down low.
Alisia Jenkins ranks 13th in the country with 11.8 rebounds per game (also rankings 31st with 2.38 blocks a night), and front court mate Courtney Williams is 126 with 8.2 rebounds a night. As a team, the Bulls are 55th in the country with a +6.7 rebound margin and are 14th in the country with 31.0 defensive rebounds a night.
Fuqua-Bey Approaching 500th Career Rebound
Asia Fuqua-Bey is just 11 rebounds shy of her 500th career rebound heading in to her 76th career game on Wednesday afternoon. Whenever she gets to 500 rebounds, she will join the 500-500 club, becoming just the 25th player in school history to have 500 career points and 500 career rebounds.
She picked up her 500th career point against UALR and is now 32 points shy of her 600th point heading in to the Temple game.
Hearn Moves to 18th on Tiger Scoring Chart
Junior guard Ariel Hearn moved to 18th on the Memphis career scoring chart against Temple on Sunday night. She heads in to the game at USF with 1,192 career points. She is 107 points shy of moving to 17th all-time, where Victoria Crawford's mark (2002-05) of 1,299 points sits.
Cutting Down on Turns
Memphis is struggling with turnovers in the early part of the season. Only three Tigers have more assists than turnovers (Breigha Wilder-Cochran 27 v. 23; Amber Holmes 4 vs. 3 and Taylor Williams 15 vs. 13).
The Tigers rank No. 208 in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (0.72) and don't have anyone listed in the top 250 in the country in assists per game or assists turnover ratio.
