University of Memphis Athletics

Photo by: Joe Murphy
Tigers Women's Basketball Opens League Play At Temple Wednesday
Dec 28, 2015 | Women's Basketball
Wednesday's game begins a stretch of seven games in 18 days for Memphis.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – After a 10-day break from competition for Christmas, the University of Memphis women's basketball team gets back to action Wednesday, Dec. 30 when it travels to Philadelphia, Pa., for its 2015-16 American Athletic Conference opener at Temple. Game time is 6 p.m. (CT) from McGonigle Hall.
Memphis last played Dec. 19 and defeated Illinois 81-75 at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse.
With this season's break a little longer than in recent years, head coach Melissa McFerrin had to have her Tigers keep in shape while spending time with family and friends during the Christmas holiday.
"We want them to spend time with their families, and we never want to put the game of basketball ahead of what this time means," said McFerrin. "But, we also have to understand that the first conference game is creeping up quickly.
"Our players have to be disciplined. We're returning after a significant break, and we're going right into the conference season. I'm confident our players will handle it well."
The following are some notes on Wednesday's match-up:
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Radio: 91.7 FM (WUMR)
TV: None
Internet Video: www.owlsports.com/watch
Live Stats: www.sidearmstats.com/temple/wbball
LiveTweet: @MemphisWBKB, #MEMWBKB, #GoTigersGo
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Tigers Tidbits • Five Memphis Notes to Know
• Wednesday's contest versus Temple is the American Athletic Conference opener and road opener for the Tigers. Memphis has a 3-4 record in both conference openers and league road openers in the Melissa McFerrin era.
• This is the third-consecutive season Memphis and Temple face each other in both teams' American Athletic Conference openers. The Owls won the previous two league openers over the Tigers, including last season's narrow 58-57 decision at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse.
• Wednesday's game is Memphis' final contest of the 2015 calendar year. The Tigers have played well in their "final-games-of-the-calendar-year" under head coach Melissa McFerrin. Memphis has a 5-2 record in those contests in the McFerrin era.
• Memphis and fellow American Athletic Conference teams will learn what it's like to play a professional schedule in the early portion of this season's league slate. As a result of the way the December calendar fell, the league's coaches voted at the 2015 conference spring meetings to move back the schedule start date from Dec. 27 to Dec. 30. In doing so, it compacted the front end of many teams' schedules. For Memphis, it will play seven games in 18 days, including a stretch of four games in seven days from Jan. 3-10. In that seven-day period, the Tigers host Tulane Jan. 3, Houston Jan. 5 and Tulsa Jan. 10. Memphis travels to Cincinnati Jan. 7.
• Senior Asianna Fuqua-Bey is nearing the top-10 on the Memphis all-time rebounding chart. The 6-foot-1 forward enters Wednesday's game with 681 career rebounds. LaTonya Johnson (1994-98) currently holds the No. 10 spot with 686 career boards.
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Scouting Temple
The Owls enter Wednesday's American Athletic Conference opener with a 6-4 overall record. Temple has won three straight with victories over Sacred Heart (home), Fordham (road) and Delaware State (home). The Owls are 4-1 at home and 2-1 at McGonigle Hall. Temple is 2-0 at the Liacouras Center. Temple's only home setback was a narrow 70-67 loss to Big 5 rival Saint Joseph's.
The Owls return four starters and seven letterwinners from their 2014-15 team. Junior guard Feyonda Fitzgerald leads three players averaging double figures at 16.5 ppg. Alliya Butts (14.3 ppg) and Tanaya Atkinson (12.1 ppg) also average double figures. Erica Covile leads three Owls averaging six or more rebounds per contest at 6.7 rpg. Donnaizha Fountain (6.3 rpg) and Atkinson (6.0 rpg) also average six or more boards per game. Fitzgerald leads the Owls in both assists (50 total; 5.2 apg) and steals (25 total; 2.5 spg). Khadijah Berger is the team's top three-point threat, hitting 41.7 percent from the arc.
Temple is shooting 41.9 percent from the floor, 33.5 percent from the three-point arc and 72.3 percent from the free throw line. The Owls are out-rebounding their opponents by an average margin of +5.1 boards per game (40.7-35.6).
Memphis last played Dec. 19 and defeated Illinois 81-75 at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse.
With this season's break a little longer than in recent years, head coach Melissa McFerrin had to have her Tigers keep in shape while spending time with family and friends during the Christmas holiday.
"We want them to spend time with their families, and we never want to put the game of basketball ahead of what this time means," said McFerrin. "But, we also have to understand that the first conference game is creeping up quickly.
"Our players have to be disciplined. We're returning after a significant break, and we're going right into the conference season. I'm confident our players will handle it well."
The following are some notes on Wednesday's match-up:
Â
Radio: 91.7 FM (WUMR)
TV: None
Internet Video: www.owlsports.com/watch
Live Stats: www.sidearmstats.com/temple/wbball
LiveTweet: @MemphisWBKB, #MEMWBKB, #GoTigersGo
Â
Tigers Tidbits • Five Memphis Notes to Know
• Wednesday's contest versus Temple is the American Athletic Conference opener and road opener for the Tigers. Memphis has a 3-4 record in both conference openers and league road openers in the Melissa McFerrin era.
• This is the third-consecutive season Memphis and Temple face each other in both teams' American Athletic Conference openers. The Owls won the previous two league openers over the Tigers, including last season's narrow 58-57 decision at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse.
• Wednesday's game is Memphis' final contest of the 2015 calendar year. The Tigers have played well in their "final-games-of-the-calendar-year" under head coach Melissa McFerrin. Memphis has a 5-2 record in those contests in the McFerrin era.
• Memphis and fellow American Athletic Conference teams will learn what it's like to play a professional schedule in the early portion of this season's league slate. As a result of the way the December calendar fell, the league's coaches voted at the 2015 conference spring meetings to move back the schedule start date from Dec. 27 to Dec. 30. In doing so, it compacted the front end of many teams' schedules. For Memphis, it will play seven games in 18 days, including a stretch of four games in seven days from Jan. 3-10. In that seven-day period, the Tigers host Tulane Jan. 3, Houston Jan. 5 and Tulsa Jan. 10. Memphis travels to Cincinnati Jan. 7.
• Senior Asianna Fuqua-Bey is nearing the top-10 on the Memphis all-time rebounding chart. The 6-foot-1 forward enters Wednesday's game with 681 career rebounds. LaTonya Johnson (1994-98) currently holds the No. 10 spot with 686 career boards.
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Scouting Temple
The Owls enter Wednesday's American Athletic Conference opener with a 6-4 overall record. Temple has won three straight with victories over Sacred Heart (home), Fordham (road) and Delaware State (home). The Owls are 4-1 at home and 2-1 at McGonigle Hall. Temple is 2-0 at the Liacouras Center. Temple's only home setback was a narrow 70-67 loss to Big 5 rival Saint Joseph's.
The Owls return four starters and seven letterwinners from their 2014-15 team. Junior guard Feyonda Fitzgerald leads three players averaging double figures at 16.5 ppg. Alliya Butts (14.3 ppg) and Tanaya Atkinson (12.1 ppg) also average double figures. Erica Covile leads three Owls averaging six or more rebounds per contest at 6.7 rpg. Donnaizha Fountain (6.3 rpg) and Atkinson (6.0 rpg) also average six or more boards per game. Fitzgerald leads the Owls in both assists (50 total; 5.2 apg) and steals (25 total; 2.5 spg). Khadijah Berger is the team's top three-point threat, hitting 41.7 percent from the arc.
Temple is shooting 41.9 percent from the floor, 33.5 percent from the three-point arc and 72.3 percent from the free throw line. The Owls are out-rebounding their opponents by an average margin of +5.1 boards per game (40.7-35.6).
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