Tigers Travel To USF For Midweek Road Game

Tuesday, January 17

Tampa, Fla.

6:00 PM

University of Memphis

No. 23 USF

Photo by: Matthew Smith

Jan 16, 2017 | Women's Basketball

Listen Live Live Stats Memphis Game Notes - USF

Florida trip is the first of two-straight on the road for Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis women's basketball team hits the road again, this time for a trip to No. 23 USF on Tuesday evening. The Tigers and the Bulls play in a match-up broadcasted on the CBS Sports Network at 6 p.m. CT/7 p.m. ET at the Sun Dome in Tampa, Fla.

GAME 18
Memphis (8-9; 1-3 AAC) vs. No. 23 USF (14-2; 3-1 AAC)
Tip-off: 6 p.m. CT/7 p.m. ET
Location: Sun Dome – Tampa, Fla.
TV: CBS Sports Network
Live Stats | Listen

The Tigers hit the road after dropping a home game to Cincinnati last Saturday. Overall, Memphis is 8-9 this season and 1-3 in the American Athletic Conference after defeating UCF on the road on Jan. 7.

Brea Elmore led the Tigers against Cincinnati for the second-straight game after scoring 16 points. She also made two three-pointers for Memphis, bumping her total to nine-straight games with a made three-pointer. Cheyenne Creighton and Taylor Barnes also scored in double figures for Memphis against the Bearcats. Barnes made a career-high two three-pointers against Cincinnati on two attempts.

Creighton leads the Tigers offensively with 15.1 points per game and 7.8 rebounds per game. Overall in the league, Creighton ranks ninth in scoring and eighth in rebounding. With nine rebounds against Cincinnati, she was just shy of her sixth double-double this year. Elmore and Taylor Williams are also averaging in double digits for Memphis.

Memphis ranks third in the conference in steals with 9.5 per game behind UCF and UConn. The Tigers also rank fifth in turnover margin at +1.88.

Memphis was picked to finish seventh in the American Athletic Conference. Head coach Melissa McFerrin is currently in her ninth season at the helm of the Memphis program. Coming into the game against USF, McFerrin is two wins shy of 150 at Memphis and 200 in her career.

About The Match-Up
Tuesday's game against USF is the 23rd all-time meeting between the two teams. Memphis has the all-time series lead of 13-9. USF, however, has won seven out of the last eight contests.

Last season, the Tigers defeated the then-No. 15 Bulls at home by a score of 88-87 in overtime. Ariel Hearn scored 33 points while Asianna Fuqua-Bey and Brianna Wright added a combined 28 points in the win last season over USF. Loysha Morris and Cheyenne Creighton each had nine points.

A Look At USF
USF comes into the midweek game with a 14-2 overall record with its only losses coming to Connecticut and Long Beach State. With the solid overall record, the Bulls are ranked No. 20 in the AP Poll and No. 21 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

The Bulls are the first ranked team Memphis has played this season. Vanderbilt was receiving votes. USF was selected to finish third in the American Athletic Conference behind UConn and Temple. Kitija Laksa was a First-Team Preseason All-Conference selection.

Laksa leads the Bulls and the conference offensively with 20.6 points per game. She has started in all 16 games for USF. Maria Jespersen and Ariadna Pujol are also averaging in double-figures for the Bulls with 14.6 and 14.2 points, respectively. Jespersen is pulling down a team-high 9.6 rebounds per game.

Jose Fernandez is the head coach of the Bulls and is currently in his 17th season at the helm of the USF program.

Final Details
Tip-off against USF is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT/7 p.m. ET at the Sun Dome in Tampa, Fla. The game is broadcasted on CBS Sports Network and can also be heard on the radio at 91.7 FM WUMR with Jeff Brightwell on the call. For more information on the Memphis women's basketball team, follow us on Twitter at @MemphisWBB.