Tigers Women's Basketball Posts 80-49 Win Over Eastern Illinois

Sunday, November 15

Memphis, Tenn.

2 pm CT

University of Memphis

2-0

Eastern Illinois

1-1

Eastern Illinois

Memphis

Photo by: Kallie Collier

Tigers Women's Basketball Posts 80-49 Win Over Eastern Illinois

Nov 15, 2015 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Hearn's 14 points, Wright's nine rebounds leads Memphis.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Senior Ariel Hearn scored a team-high 14 points and senior Brianna Wright grabbed a game-best nine rebounds to lift the University of Memphis women's basketball team to an 80-49 non-conference victory over Eastern Illinois Sunday. The Tigers begin the season with a 2-0 record, while the Panthers fall to 1-1.

It is the second-straight season and the third time under head coach Melissa McFerrin that the Tigers started a campaign 2-0.

In addition to Hearn's 14 points, Mooriah Rowser (12 points) and Cheyenne Creighton (12) netted double figures. Creighton also pulled down seven rebounds in only 17 minutes of action. Brea Elmore dished out four assists, and Wright added two assists, two blocked shots and two steals to her nine boards.

Eastern Illinois' Erica Brown led all scorers with 20 points.

The Tigers shot 50.9 percent from the field, while holding the Panthers to 30.8 percent from the floor and 16.7 percent from the three-point arc. Memphis out-rebounded Eastern Illinois 37-33 and forced 19 Panthers' miscues.

As they did in the Nov. 13 season opener, the Tigers used the second quarter to build their advantage and pull away. The game was tied at 19-all to start the second, but Memphis used an 11-4 run in the period's first five minutes to put some distance between it and the visiting Panthers. Overall, Memphis outscored Eastern Illinois 18-7 in the second period.

Memphis only held a 25-23 lead with 6:21 left in the second quarter, but used a 12-3 spurt to close the period. Hearn's five points and Creighton's four points paced the Tigers' run.

The Memphis defense also helped the home team pull away. After the game's first minutes in which they forced no Panthers' miscues, the Tigers made Eastern Illinois turn the ball over 11 times over the next 15 minutes. Memphis turned those 11 Panthers' miscues into 18 points.

The Tigers maintained their lead throughout the third period and led 51-37 to start the final quarter. In the fourth quarter, Memphis turned up the defensive heat and outscored the Panthers 29-12. The Tigers turned six Eastern Illinois miscues into 11 points in the final quarter.

Sunday's opening period was similar to Friday's season opener with very little energy early on from the Tigers. The Panthers jumped out to a 13-6 advantage in the first 5:17 of the game behind six points from Brown. The Panthers also used error-free basketball to help grab the lead, as they had no turnovers in the game's first five minutes.

Memphis got back in the game, cutting the Panthers' lead to 13-11 on a Hearn layup and a Taylor Williams' trey. The squad's traded baskets the remainder of the period and were tied 19-all at the end.

The Tigers return to action Thursday, Nov. 19 when they play their first road game of 2015-16. Memphis travels to Lawrence, Kan., to face the Jayhawks. Game time is 7 p.m. (CT) from Allen Fieldhouse.