Women's Basketball Falls To Arkansas At Nugget Classic Friday

Friday, November 25

Reno, Nev.

6:30 PM

University of Memphis

2-3

Arkansas

5-0

Memphis

Arkansas

Photo by: Brandon Dill

Women's Basketball Falls To Arkansas At Nugget Classic Friday

Nov 25, 2016 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Tigers to play Nevada in the consolation game Saturday

RENO, Nev. – The University of Memphis women's basketball team fell to Arkansas in the opening round of the Nugget Classic Friday by a score of 91-61. The setback moves Memphis to 2-3 on the year and 0-1 in neutral site games.

Memphis was without its starting point guard, Breigha Wilder-Cochran, who will return to action for the game against Nevada Saturday afternoon.

How It Happened
After Memphis scored the first basket of the ball game, Arkansas scored eight unanswered points for the first and only lead change of the day. Memphis battled back and had the margin to as few as four, 14-10, with 3:08 left in the first before the Razorbacks jumped further ahead.

Arkansas finished the first quarter on a 10-1 run to build a double-digit lead over the Tigers. That lead continued to build throughout the second quarter as the Razorbacks went up 25 at the half.

Memphis started strong in the third quarter by forcing five Arkansas turnovers in the first five minutes of action. In that span, Brea Elmore scored eight points to become the first Tiger in double-digits for the afternoon. The Tigers finished the third quarter outscoring Arkansas, 23-22.

Arkansas finished the game outscoring Memphis 23-17 in the final quarter.

Key Stat - Turnovers
Memphis forced 19 Arkansas turnovers, which is almost double more than its season average of 10.5. The previous season-high for Arkansas was 12 against Stetson earlier this week. The Tigers outscored the Razorbacks, 30-19, in points off turnovers.

Turning Point
With the score at 14-10 in favor of Arkansas with just over three minutes to play in the first, the Razorbacks produced a 10-1 run to pull ahead by double-figures of the Tigers.

Notables
- Memphis outscored Arkansas, 23-22, in the third quarter. The 23 points scored by the Tigers in the third was the highest total in a quarter this season for Memphis.
- Brea Elmore scored a career-high 14 points by going 5-for-10 from the floor and 4-for-5 from the charity stripe. Her previous career-high was 13 set in the season opener against Missouri State. Elmore also had a team-high four steals for the Tigers.
- Cheyenne Creighton led the Tigers with 15 points, marking the fifth-straight game this season she has scored in double-figures.
- Damonique Miller set a new career-high in scoring (7) and steals (2) against the Razorbacks.
- Arkansas outrebounded Memphis 47-18. Nineteen of the Razorback rebounds were offensive boards.
- Memphis finished with a season-high 15 steals against Arkansas.

Quotable – Melissa McFerrin
Message at halftime…
That we just weren't playing very well, that we had more responsibility to our team, to each other, and to the University of Memphis than that. I was really disappointed in the first half, mostly on the glass. It was one of those halves where we got a little fatigued and we thought it was okay not to do what we're supposed to do.

After their third quarter performance…
I was pleased with us in the third quarter. We can't give up that many rebounds. We knew they were a very good rebounding team. We have to maintain better focus than that and keep them off the glass.

On Brea Elmore's career night…
I thought she was aggressive going to the glass. That's what we really need her to be. She played some back-up point guard today, which we also needed. I just liked her being more assertive in going to the rim and really making somebody guard her.

Next Up For The Tigers
Memphis will now take on Nevada in the consolation game, Saturday at 2:00 p.m. PT/4:00 p.m. CT at the Lawlor Events Center. For more information on the Memphis women's basketball team, follow us on Twitter at @MemphisWBB.