Tigers Shock Wichita State With 71-50 Road Victory

Saturday, January 12

Wichita, Kan.

2 p.m.

University of Memphis

Wichita State*

Memphis

Wichita St.

Photo by: Wichita State Athletics

Jan 12, 2019 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Alana Davis' career-high 26 points earn Memphis' first AAC win

WICHITA, Kan. – The University of Memphis women's basketball team earned a hard-fought road victory Saturday afternoon against Wichita State by a score of 71-50. The Tiger victory marked the first conference win of the season as the Tigers improve to 6-10 on the year and 1-2 in American Athletic Conference play.

Alana Davis led all players with a career-high 26 points, including a 10-for-11 effort at the charity stripe. Jada Stinson added a season-high 11 points while Jamirah Shutes contributed 10 points.

Wichita State opened the contest with a 4-0 lead, but a lay-up by Brianna Porter backed by a pair of made free throws by Porter and Alana Davis tied the contest at 4-4 with 5:37 remaining in the first.

The Shockers took its final lead with a free throw at the 4:28 mark before the cylinders of the Memphis offense started firing.

Stinson hit the first of her three three-pointers with 3:37 remaining in the first to spark a 7-0 Memphis run. A Gazmyne Herndon lay-up at the end of the Memphis run forced Wichita State to call an early timeout. The Tigers ended the first quarter up 15-9.

The momentum from the first quarter run carried its way into the second where the Tigers outscored the Shockers, 20-11. Davis had 11 first half points to lead Memphis, and the Tigers were able to build a 15 point lead into the break, as they led the Shockers 35-20.

Foul trouble plagued the Tigers in the third as Wichita State cut the Memphis lead to as little as 13 with 2:07 on the clock. Five-straight points by Memphis, including the first points of the game for Malainna 'Rudy' White to close out the third quarter, built the lead back up to 18. After three quarters, Memphis was largely in control, with a 49-31 advantage.

The Shockers made another push in the fourth, jumping out with a 12-4 run to cut the Memphis lead to 10 with 6:18 remaining. The Tigers responded and quickly recovered its 18-point edge.

A three by Stinson at the end of the contest put the final touches on a 71-50 final. The victory marked Memphis' first win against Wichita State since the Shockers joined the league last season.

The Tigers shot 41 percent from the floor and finished with 21 bench points compared to just nine off of the pine by the Shockers.

Quick Notables
·      Alana Davis led Memphis for the fourth time in scoring this season with a career-high 26 points. She went 10-for-11 from the free throw line and five rebounds.
·      Gazmyne Herndon led Memphis with a career-high eight assists. She also had eight points, six rebounds, a block and a steal.
·      Brianna Porter registered her team-leading 15^th block in the first quarter.
·      Jasmine James recorded a season-high two blocks, including one in the fourth quarter. James led Memphis with eight rebounds.
·      This is the first game since Coastal Carolina where every player on the floor scored for the Tigers.
·      Memphis is now 3-2 all-time against Wichita State. This is the first win against the Shockers since Wichita State joined the league last season.

Memphis returns to the Elma Roane Fieldhouse next Saturday for a game against East Carolina. Tip-off is slated for 11 a.m. For more information on the Memphis women's basketball team, follow the Tigers on Facebook and Twitter at @MemphisWBB.