Tigers Women's Basketball Holds Off Georgetown Sunday

Sunday, November 22

Memphis, Tenn.

2 pm CT

University of Memphis

3-1

Georgetown

2-1

Georgetown

Memphis

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Tigers Women's Basketball Holds Off Georgetown Sunday

Nov 22, 2015 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Wright records eighth career double-double in 57-53 win.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – In games like the University of Memphis women's basketball team played Sunday, coaches will confirm that they would rather win ugly than lose pretty. That's what the Tigers did in their 57-53 non-conference victory over Georgetown at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse.

In the Tigers' "ugly" victory, Asianna Fuqua-Bey scored a team-high 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Brianna Wright posted her eighth career double-double with 13 points and 11 boards. Taylor Williams was the only other double-figure scorer with 10 points.

Georgetown's Faith Woodard led all scorers with 20 points. The Tigers (3-1) held Dorothy Adomako to only three points. Adomako, the 2014-15 BIG EAST Conference Freshman of the Year, entered Sunday's game averaging 21.0 points.

Memphis' win gave the Tigers their first 3-0 home start to a season since 2011-12 when that squad won its first 11 home contests.

Memphis held a double-digit advantage most of the contest and was up 11 at 46-35 with 6:05 to go. The visiting Hoyas (2-1), however, went on an 18-8 run over the next six minutes to cut the Tigers' lead to 54-53 with :12 on the clock.

Ariel Hearn, who scored only seven points, was fouled on the ensuing inbounds and hit two free throws with nine seconds left to give Memphis a 56-53 cushion. On its next possession, Georgetown attempted a game-tying three-pointer, but Hearn blocked Dionna White's shot. Williams was fouled following Hearn's block and hit 1-of-2 free throws with :02 left to secure the 57-53 final.

The game's first 34 minutes gave no indication of what happened in its final six minutes. Memphis led the entire way and held a double-digit lead 21:26 of the game.

Memphis' first double-digit lead came midway through the opening period. Unlike their first three games, the Tigers got off to a fast start against Georgetown Sunday. In the game's first 3:09, Memphis jumped out to a 9-2 lead on the strength of Hearn's five points and Fuqua-Bey's four. The Tigers maintained their lead throughout the first period and held a 16-4 advantage at the end. The Memphis defense forced 10 Hoyas turnovers in the opening quarter.

Early in the second period, Memphis built its advantage to 13 points twice at 19-6 and 21-8 before the visitors from Washington, D.C., mounted a run. Over the quarter's final 4:18, Georgetown put together an 11-4 spurt to cut the Tigers' lead to 25-19 at the break. Jade Martin (six points) and Woodard (five) accounted for all of the Hoyas' 11 points in the run.

After halftime, Memphis rebuilt its double-digit lead in the third period's first four minutes. Powered by a Williams' trey and Holmes' three points, Memphis opened the quarter with a 9-2 spurt to take a 34-21 advantage. The Tigers maintained their double-digit lead throughout the period and built the advantage to as many as 16 points at 42-26 with 1:17 left.

Memphis carried that double-digit advantage all the way to the six-minute mark of the final quarter when Georgetown made its final push that fell short.

Sunday's game was statistically uncharacteristic for Memphis early in 2015-16. The Tigers entered Sunday's match-up shooting 43.6 percent from the field and 80.6 percent from the charity stripe. Memphis, though, shot 30.6 percent from the field and 64 percent from the free throw line versus the Hoyas. The Tigers also were averaging 15.0 assists per game, but dished out only seven Sunday.

Georgetown wasn't much better shooting the ball, hitting 37.5 percent from the floor, 7.7 percent from the arc and 44.4 percent from the foul line. Memphis held a narrow 44-43 rebound margin.

Memphis returns to action Friday, Nov. 27 when it travels to Little Rock, Ark., to meet Little Rock in a 5:15 p.m. (CT) game.