Women's Basketball Takes Down Illinois On The Road

Thursday, November 17

Champaign, Ill.

12:00 PM

University of Memphis

2-1

Illinois

1-2

Memphis

Illinois

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Nov 17, 2016 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

The Tigers win in Champaign for the first time in program history

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Four players scored in double-figures and the University of Memphis women's basketball team led from start to finish in the 64-54 victory over Illinois Thursday afternoon. The victory at the State Farm Center was the first in school history as the Tigers are now 2-2 against the Illini under the direction of head coach Melissa McFerrin.

The victory Thursday improves the Tigers to 2-1 overall with a return trip home coming up against Kansas Sunday afternoon. It is also the second-straight win over Illinois after the Tigers won last season at home by a score of 81-75.

"I have to give the kids a lot of credit," said McFerrin. "We had a really good two days of practice (after Samford). Our kids are listening and they are trying to get better every day."

With the first basket of the ballgame and 10 more points to follow, sophomore forward Brianna Porter had a career afternoon for the Tigers. Porter finished with 12 points, four rebounds and a 4-for-6 effort from the free throw line to help lead the team in scoring.

Cheyenne Creighton, Breigha Wilder-Cochran, and Taylor Barnes also scored in double-figures for the Tigers. Wilder-Cochran helped lead the Tigers' effort from the charity stripe by going 8-for-8. Creighton finished with her third-straight double-figure game and Barnes scored in double-figures for the first time in her Memphis career.

Memphis took a quick 4-0 lead with made baskets in its first two possessions. Within the first three minutes, the Tigers built that lead up to seven over the Illini.

Illinois produced a run in the middle of the first quarter that would tie the game at 16-16 with 1:46 on the clock. With the score then tied at 18-all, the final tie of the contest, Loysha Morris knocked down her first three-pointer of the season with 0:28 before the quarter break to put Memphis up three.

The Tigers proceeded to force four turnovers on the first four possessions for Illinois while going on a 7-0 run capped by a Wilder-Cochran three. Memphis' 10-point lead with 7:42 before intermission was the largest lead at that point this season.

Illinois cut into the lead with under a minute before the half, but a three by Barnes with 15 seconds on the clock sent the teams in the locker room with an eight-point, Memphis lead.

Memphis held onto its eight-point lead throughout the third quarter to be up 43-35 over the Illini with 10 minutes to play.

Within a minute and a half in the fourth, Memphis grew its lead to 14 after a pair of free throws by Taylor Williams. That lead continued to grow to as many as 18 after a Brea Elmore three before Illinois finished the game on a 12-4 run to cut the Tiger lead to 10.

The Tigers finished the game shooting 21-for-24 from the free throw line and 5-for-13 from beyond the arc. Illinois outrebounded Memphis by two, 36-34, and Memphis committed just 14 turnovers compared to 16 by the Orange and Blue.

Memphis returns to the Elma Roane Fieldhouse for a Sunday afternoon game against Kansas. Tip-off against the Jayhawks is scheduled for 2 p.m. Live video, live stats, and live audio will be available at www.gotigersgo.com and for more information on the Memphis women's basketball team, follow us on Twitter at @MemphisWBB.