Conference Play Begins Sunday for Women’s Basketball

Sunday, December 31

Hartford, Conn.

12:30 PM

University of Memphis

#1 UConn

Photo by: Matthew Smith

Conference Play Begins Sunday for Women’s Basketball

Dec 29, 2017 | Women's Basketball

Live Stats Watch (ESPN3)Memphis vs. UConn Game Notes

Memphis travels to No. 1 UConn to ring in the New Year

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis women's basketball team currently rides a four-game winning streak as it begins conference play Sunday with a trip to No. 1 UConn. Tipoff at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn. is slated for 12:30 p.m. CT and can be viewed on ESPN3.

GAME 14
Memphis (5-8) vs. No. 1 UConn (10-0)
Tip-off: 12:30 p.m. CT
Location: XL Center – Hartford, Conn.
Live Stats | Watch | Listen

With a 57-48 victory over Grambling State before the holiday break, Memphis' winning streak has extended to four-in-a-row. Three Tigers scored in double-figures in the win, led by senior forward Cheyenne Creighton's 18. Freshmen Alana Davis and Jada Stinson each added 10 for Memphis and both played a crucial role in the second half to help push the Tigers to victory.

Going into Sunday's game against UConn, here are some things to know about the Memphis women's basketball team.

Cheyenne Creighton had a great week both in scoring and rebounding with 18.5 points and 13.5 rebounds per game. She finished the week off with her third American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll Nod.
Creighton now sits 56 points shy of 1,000 in her career. If she continues on the pace she is on, she will become the 24^th player in program history and sixth under head coach Melissa McFerrin to reach the 1,000-point milestone.
The last time Memphis won four-straight was the final four non-conference games of the 2016-17 season. Memphis capped off that run with a commanding 75-59 victory over Vanderbilt at home.
Creighton, with eight double-doubles this season including double-doubles in the last five games, ranks ninth in the NCAA. With 15.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, only two other players in the American Athletic Conference have higher averages in both categories than Creighton.
Senior guard Breigha Wilder-Cochran averaged 6.5 assists per game last week and it was the first time this season she has had back-to-back games with at least five assists. She ranks 12^th in the AAC with a 1.38 assist-to-turnover ratio.

A Look At UConn
Despite falling in the Final Four just a year ago, the Huskies have started the 2017 non-conference season with a perfect 10-0 record. Against Oklahoma on Dec. 19, head coach Geno Auriemma won his 1,000th career game.

Katie Lou Samuelson leads the team offensively with 20.5 points per game. She's started in all six games she's played in and is a 51.4 percent shooter from beyond the arc. Azura Stevens, Gabby Williams and Napheesa Collier lead the team in rebounding with 8.5, 8.4, and 8.0 rebounds, respectively.

As a team, the Huskies are scoring just shy of 90.0 points per game and shoot 52.5 percent from the floor. They also outrebound their opponents by almost nine per game.

Auriemma is in his 33^rd season at the helm of the UConn program.

Series History With UConn
Memphis and UConn have played each other seven times with the Huskies coming out on top in all seven meetings. The meetings first began during the 2013-14 season, the first year of the AAC.

Final Details
Tipoff against UConn is slated for 12:30 p.m. at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn. Sunday afternoon. Fans can watch the game on ESPN3 or listen the game on the airwaves at 91.7 FM WUMR with Jeff Brightwell on the call. For more information on the Memphis women's basketball team, follow the team on Twitter at @MemphisWBB.