Women’s Basketball Heads To Las Vegas For Play4Kay Showcase

Thursday, November 23

Las Vegas, Nev.

5:00 PM

University of Memphis

#9/8 Ohio State

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Women’s Basketball Heads To Las Vegas For Play4Kay Showcase

Nov 22, 2017 | Women's Basketball

The Tigers have three games scheduled, beginning with Ohio State Thanksgiving Day

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The time has come for the University of Memphis women's basketball team to head to Las Vegas for the Play4Kay Showcase for three games over Thanksgiving Break. The tournament begins for Memphis with a game against Ohio State Thursday afternoon. Friday and Saturday's games are to be determined.

PLAY4KAY SHOWCASE (GAME FIVE)
Memphis (1-3) vs. Ohio State (4-1)
Tip-off: 5 p.m. CT/ 3 p.m. PT
Location: Mandalay Bay Events Center
Live Stats | Watch | Tournament Website

Memphis has opened the season with a 1-3 record prior to the trip to Las Vegas. Against Southern Illinois last Sunday, freshman forward Alana Davis recorded her first collegiate double-double with a team-high 15 points and 10 rebounds. Davis played a key role in second chance points for Memphis as she finished the game with six offensive rebounds.

Seniors Cheyenne Creighton and Brea Elmore lead the team offensively with 16.0 points and 9.3 points per game, respectively. Creighton opened the season up with her seventh career double-double against Tennessee State.

Head coach Melissa McFerrin is in her 10^th season at the helm of the Memphis program. The Tigers first opponent, Ohio State, is a familiar face for McFerrin as she was an assistant coach for the Buckeyes from 1990-97.

About the Play4Kay Showcase
Six teams that participated in last season's NCAA Women's Tournament will be among the eight-team field for the second-annual Play4Kay Showcase on Nov. 23-25, 2017 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

The event supports the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, an organization that funds women's cancer research, and will immediately follow the MGM Resorts Main Event men's tournament earlier that week at T-Mobile Arena.

Teams competing this season are Belmont, DePaul, Florida Gulf Coast, Gonzaga, Kent State, Memphis, Ohio State, and Stanford. Stanford was a final four team in 2017 and six teams won at least 20 games a year ago.

A Look At Ohio State
Ohio State comes to Las Vegas ranked No. 9 in the AP Poll and No. 8 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. The Buckeyes are 4-1 on the year with the lone loss coming against No. 9 Louisville on Nov. 12. Ohio State opened the season with an 85-64 win over No. 10 Stanford.

Kelsey Mitchell leads the team with 26.2 points per game and is the team leader in assists with 21. She is a 48.3 percent shooter from the floor and also leads the team from the free throw line. In all, four total Buckeyes are scoring in double-digits as part of an offense that scores 90.8 points per game. Linnae Harper and Stephanie Mavunga are averaging a double-double.

In the Big Ten preseason poll, Ohio State was picked to win the league. Ohio State is under the direction of Kevin McGuff who is in his fifth season at the helm of the Buckeye program.

Series History With Ohio State
Memphis and Ohio State have faced off twice in program history with the last meeting coming during the first round of the 1996 NCAA Tournament. Ohio State won the game on March 16, 1996 by a score of 97-75. The Tigers won the first meeting by a score of 84-75 during the 1979-80 season.

Memphis head coach Melissa McFerrin was actually in attendance of the last Ohio State/Memphis game as she was an assistant coach for the Buckeyes from 1990-97.

Final Details
Tipoff against Ohio State is set for 5 p.m. CT/3 p.m. PT at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Fans can hear the game on the air waves 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.