Tigers unable to overcome first half deficit at UCF

Saturday, January 25

Orlando, Fla.

1 PM

University of Memphis

10-9,1-5AAC

UCF *

11-7,3-3AAC

Memphis

UCF

Photo by: Matthew A. Smith

Tigers unable to overcome first half deficit at UCF

Jan 25, 2020 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Julan McDonald scored a career-high 14 points behind four three-pointers

ORLANDO, Fla. – The University of Memphis women's basketball team was unable to overcome its first half deficit Saturday afternoon, falling to UCF by a score of 82-66 at Addition Financial Arena. The setback drops Memphis to 10-9 overall and 1-5 in American Athletic Conference play.

Memphis was plagued by turnovers in the first half, resulting in 12 second chance points by the Knights. UCF also pounded the paint through the first 10 minutes, outscoring the Tigers 22-4 inside.

Lanetta Williams put Memphis on the board first with four of her 10 points in the contest. Trailing 8-5 with 6:49 in the opening quarter, Jamirah Shutes hit the first Memphis three-pointer of the game. The score of 8-7 in favor of the Knights proved to be the closest Memphis would come for the remainder of the afternoon.

In the closing minutes of the first quarter, UCF rattled off a 13-2 run to take a 21-9 lead. Madison Griggs' first three-pointer of the day snapped the run with under a minute on the clock.

Griggs paced Memphis in the second quarter, hitting two additional three-pointers to put her total for the day up to three. She has hit at least three, three-pointers 11 times this season.

Julan McDonald hit a fastbreak three-pointer with 4:09 before intermission after the Memphis defense posted back-to-back stops. UCF promptly called a timeout and momentum quickly returned back in favor of the Knights as UCF rattled off a 13-0 run.

In the second half, Memphis slowly chipped away at UCF's lead, and cut the deficit to 18 with 1:17 remaining in the game after McDonald knocked down her team-leading fourth three-pointer of the game. McDonald finished the day matching her career-high 14 points.

Aerial Wilson became the fourth Memphis player of the contest to knock down a three-pointer as her trey with 19 seconds remaining in the contest set the final score of the game. Memphis ultimately outscored UCF by eight in the second half with 41 points, but was unable to overcome the first half deficit.

Memphis finished with 17 turnovers after opening the contest with 11 in the first half. UCF took care of the basketball, however, and only turned the ball over nine times. In the second half, Memphis shot 51 percent from the floor to finish at 44 percent for the day. UCF edged Memphis in the rebounding battle, 36-30.

Tiger Tidbits

Madison Griggs hit three three-pointers for the 11^th time this season while extending her made three-pointer streak to 11. Griggs has a team-leading 54 made three-pointers, which puts her two shy of cracking the top 10 list for most three-pointers in a single season.
Lanetta Williams finished with 10 points, marking the second time this season she has recorded double digit points. Williams also added a block, bringing her season total up to 17.
Memphis hit a season-high 10 three-pointers from four different players.
Julan McDonald had a career-high with 14 points. She hit a career-high four three-pointers to lead Memphis.
Four players scored in double digits.
Aerial Wilson has hit a three-pointer in four-straight contests.