Tigers Women's Basketball Completes Comeback in 59-58 AAC Tournament Win over Temple

Friday, March 8

Uncasville, Conn.

7:00 p.m.

University of Memphis

11-19

Temple

11-19

Memphis

Temple

Photo by: Ben Solomon

Tigers Women's Basketball Completes Comeback in 59-58 AAC Tournament Win over Temple

Mar 08, 2019 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Memphis overcomes 19-point deficit, the largest in AAC Championship history

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Down 15 with a quarter remaining, the University of Memphis women's basketball team rattled off a 28-point fourth quarter to comeback and take the first-round victory over Temple by a 59-58 margin Friday evening.

The Tigers won their first American Athletic Conference Championship game since 2015, completing a second half 19-point comeback with a 28-12 fourth quarter to outlast the Owls.

Gazmyne Herndon led the offense with 15 points and seven rebounds. Jamirah Shutes added 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Ashia Jones connected on a pair of three-pointers late in the game to give the Tigers the boost they needed to seal the deal.

The Memphis defense came out with active hands, forcing four turnovers in the first few minutes of the game. Memphis' offense however, struggled to get off the ground, hitting only two shots through the first 10 minutes of action. As the offense endured a drought, Temple was able to get out to a 17-5 lead by the end of the quarter. Herndon finished the period with two points, two rebounds and a steal.

The Tigers continued to struggle on the offensive end in the second quarter but found more success defensively. The Tigers made a living at the free throw line in the period, shooting 8-of-13 from the charity stripe, using it as the primary source of offense. On the other side of the floor, Temple was held to 28.6 percent shooting, scoring only 11 points in the quarter. Memphis went into the halftime break down 28-17. Shutes had six points and seven rebounds at the break.

Memphis came out of the half with renewed energy, forcing the Temple offense into turnovers and dragging each defensive possession to the end of the shot clock. Jada Stinson hit a pair of three-pointers in the quarter, helping the Tigers trim the deficit to single digits in the quarter. Temple would respond, however, answering every punch from Memphis with one of its own, taking a 46-31 lead into the fourth quarter.

Momentum completely shifted in the fourth quarter as Memphis roared back. After hitting nine total field goals in the previous three quarters, the Tigers connected on 10 in the final frame, including five-of-seven from beyond the arc.

After being down 50-31 early in the fourth quarter, Memphis put together an 8-0 run, starting with Herndon hitting a pair of free throws with 8:35 remaining in regulation. The Tigers hit four three-pointers in a 2:37 second span, two from Jones, one from Stinson and one from Shutes, to cut the deficit to five with just over three minutes left.

A quick 8-0 run capped by a Shutes triple would put the Tigers up three points with 1:25 remaining. Temple would answer with a layup, but would miss a final shot in the closing seconds to give the Tigers the victory.

Notables

Memphis captured its first postseason victory since defeating SMU in 2015.
The 19-point comeback is the largest deficit overcome in AAC Championship history.
The Tigers' 28-point fourth quarter is the highest scoring quarter of the year for Memphis.
Jamirah Shutes scored 12 points, corralled a career-high eight rebounds and dished out five assists.
Shutes' 12 points puts her in sixth place on the Memphis freshman scoring chart. Shutes now has 384 points as a true freshman.
Jada Stinson hit two three-pointers in the third quarter, her ninth game of the season with multiple triples.
Gazmyne Herndon led the team with 15 points, her second game of the season leading the team in scoring.
Ashia Jones connected on a pair of three-pointers in the fourth quarter. The redshirt-senior now has three made three-pointers on the year.
Memphis grabbed 20 offensive rebounds, turning them into 19 second chance points.

Memphis now turns its attention to the quarterfinal against Cincinnati on Saturday. The Tigers will face the Bearcats at 7 p.m. CT at the Mohegan Sun Arena. For more information about the women's basketball team, visit GoTigersGo.com or follow on social media at @MemphisWBB.