Tigers Women's Basketball Falls To No. 1 Connecticut Saturday

Saturday, January 30

Hartford, Conn.

11 am CT

University of Memphis

12-10, 6-5AAC

Connecticut

20-0, 10-0AAC

Memphis

UConn

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Tigers Women's Basketball Falls To No. 1 Connecticut Saturday

Jan 30, 2016 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Setback ends Memphis' three-game win streak.

HARTFORD, Conn. – Mooriah Rowser led the University of Memphis women's basketball team with eight points, but it wasn't enough as the Tigers fell to No. 1 Connecticut 83-40 at the XL Center Saturday.

Memphis held Connecticut to its second-lowest point total of the season in games played at the XL Center. The Huskies lowest point total at the XL Center this season was 80 in an 80-46 victory over LSU Dec. 21.

With the setback, Memphis' three-game win streak came to an end. The Tigers now hold a 12-10 overall record and a 6-5 league mark. The Huskies improve to 20-0 overall and 10-0 in conference action.

Memphis has its first bye date of the conference season during the mid-week and returns to action Saturday, Feb. 6 with a 2 p.m. (CT) game against Cincinnati at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. The contest is the Tigers' Play 4Kay/Fight Against Cancer game.

Taylor Williams and Brea Elmore each added six points for the Tigers. Elmore also grabbed a career-high six boards. Ariel Hearn finished with five points and three assists.

With her five points, Hearn hit a milestone as she went over 1,800 points for her career. She entered Saturday's game with 1,799 career points and reached the 1,800-point plateau with her first-quarter three-pointer. She now has 1,804 points.

Breanna Stewart led five Huskies in double figures with a game-high 19 points. Katie Lou Samuelson (13 points), Moriah Jefferson (11), Gabby Williams (10) and Natalie Butler (10) also netted double digits. Stewart grabbed a game-high seven rebounds.

After the break, Connecticut put together its best quarter of the game, outscoring Memphis 28-12 in the third. The Huskies forced 11 Memphis turnovers and scored 19 points off those miscues. Williams was the Tigers' top scorer in the third with six points. Williams scored the six points on consecutive three-point baskets.

"I told our team that UConn is going to push it and play fast," said Tigers head coach Melissa McFerrin. "You have to try and play fundamental basketball while they're forcing you to play fast. When they force the action, UConn takes advantage of that.

"Believe or not, I thought we did a decent job defensively today. But, finding good shots and keeping them off the offensive glass and out of transition is a difficult task."

In the final quarter, the Huskies built their lead to as many as 46 points before closing the game with a 43-point victory. Elmore netted all six of her points in the period, and freshman Brianna Porter came off the bench and added four points.

The first half started slow for both teams. The Huskies held an 11-5 lead only five minutes into the contest. A Rowser jumper and Hearn three-pointer accounted for the Tigers' points early. Connecticut, though, picked up the pace in the first period's final five minutes, going on an 11-3 run to build a 22-8 advantage heading into the second period.

Another Rowser jumper cut the Connecticut lead to 22-10 to start the second quarter, but the Huskies had another run in them. After Rowser's basket, Connecticut went on a 10-0 run to extend its advantage to 32-10 with 5:21 left before halftime. Loysha Morris scored four points (jumper, 2 FT) late in the second period, and Memphis found itself down 38-16 at the break.

In the first half, Memphis stayed close on the glass with the Huskies, with Connecticut holding a narrow 17-13 edge. The Tigers' first half problem was turnovers, as Memphis had 18 first-half miscues. Connecticut turned those 18 miscues into 19 points.

The Tigers shot 35.6 percent from the field and 75 percent from the free throw line. Connecticut finished the contest hitting 58.2 percent from the floor and 100 percent from the charity stripe. The Huskies narrowly out-rebounded Memphis 28-22, but forced the Tigers into a season-high 34 turnovers.