Women's Hoops hosts No. 4 UConn on Tuesday

Tuesday, January 14

Memphis, Tenn.

7 PM

University of Memphis

UConn *

Tickets

Photo by: Erik Williams

Jan 13, 2020 | Women's Basketball

Memphis Game Notes Live Stats Watch Listen

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Hosting the first of back-to-back home games, the Memphis women's basketball team faces No. 4 UConn Tuesday night. Tipoff against the Huskies is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. Tuesday's action will be viewable on ESPN3.

Game Details
Memphis (9-7 (0-3 AAC)) vs. No 4 UConn (13-1 (4-0 AAC))
Tip-off: 7 p.m. CT
Location: Elma Roane Fieldhouse – Memphis, Tenn.
Live Stats | Watch | Listen

The Tigers have struggled on the court to start conference play, most recently dropping a four-point decision at Tulane on Saturday. Led by Jamirah Shutes' 13 points and a career-high 12 points from Julan McDonald, Memphis held the Green Wave to just 28 percent shooting from the floor, including a 6-for-21 stroke from three-point range.

Just a sophomore, Shutes has proven to be one of the top performers in the conference. Her 14.8 points per game rank 11^th in The American, while her 222 total points this season rank eighth. Expanding her ball-handling duties this year, she ranks seventh in assists per game with 3.7 per contest. Defensively, Shutes claims the seventh-most steals among conference players, swiping 2.1 per game.

Other Tigers that find themselves making an impact this season include Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu, Keke Hunter and Madison Griggs. Fankam Mendjiadeu has been an important addition on the block for the Tigers this season. Her 8.0 rebounds per game and 1.1 blocks per game are both the eighth-most in the conference. She also scores 11.3 points per game while shooting a team-best 53.8 percent. Hunter, another transfer post-player, adds 7.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

Griggs, just a freshman, has helped stretch opponent defenses this season with her three-point shooting. She is currently second all-time in single-season three-pointers made by a freshman with 45. With three more, she will take sole possession of first place, passing LaTonya Johnson's 47. Johnson's record has stood since the 1994-95 season. Griggs is second in the AAC in made triples and is third in the league in three-point percentage, hitting them at a 42.9 percent clip.

On the national level, Griggs' 45 three-pointers are second in the country among freshmen and 25^th in the nation regardless of class. Her percentage is the fourth-best among Division I freshmen, and is 28^th overall.

Scouting the Huskies
Checking in at No. 4 in the AP Poll, UConn visits Memphis after a home win over AAC foe Houston on Saturday. After opening the game with a 25-2 first quarter lead, the Huskies cruised to the 91-51 final score. Megan Walker led all scorers with 22 points.

Walker leads UConn and The American with 20.9 points per game, while averaging close to a double-double with 9.1 rebounds. She also ranks second on the team in assists, logging 48 so far this season. With talent up and down the roster, Christyn Williams ranks fourth in the conference in scoring (16.9 ppg), while Crystal Dangerfield is currently in seventh (15.3 ppg).

The Huskies, who boast the highest-scoring offense in the conference at 79.7 points per game, also claim the best scoring defense, allowing just 56.6 points per night from opponents. Their defensive anchor this season is Olivia Nelson-Ododa, who blocks 4.1 shots a game, the second-best average in the country.

Geno Auriemma, head coach of the Huskies, is in his 35^th season at UConn. Auriemma has, to date, won 1,075 games, the third-most in Division I history behind Tara VanDerveer and Pat Summitt.

Final Details
Tip-off against UConn is set for 7 p.m. CT at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. A link to the ESPN3 stream on WatchESPN, as well as live stats and a radio feed, is available at www.GoTigersGo.com. For more information on the Memphis women's basketball team, follow the Tigers on social media at @MemphisWBB.