Shutes scores career-high 32 points in setback at ECU

Tuesday, January 28

Greenville, N.C.

6 PM

University of Memphis

10-10,1-6AAC

ECU *

4-16,1-6AAC

Memphis

East Carolina

Photo by: ECU Athletics

Shutes scores career-high 32 points in setback at ECU

Jan 28, 2020 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

First Memphis player to score at least 30 points since 2016

GREENVILLE, N.C. – Sophomore guard Jamirah Shutes scored a career-high 32 points as the University of Memphis women's basketball team dropped a tough one at ECU by a score of 71-65 Tuesday evening. Memphis falls to 10-10 on the year and 1-6 in American Athletic Conference play.

Shutes' 32 points marks the first 30-point performance for a Memphis player since Brianna Wright scored 35 vs. Temple on Feb. 18, 2016. Shutes finished the evening going 9-for-13 from the floor including 5-for-5 from long-range to pace the Tigers. Alana Davis tied her season-high with 17 points behind 8-for-10 shooting.

It was a balanced start to the contest as there were four ties and four lead changes with Memphis taking a 16-15 edge through the first 10 minutes. ECU came out aggressive and did what it does best, forcing the Tigers into five first quarter turnovers.

Shutes found herself with six first quarter points, all coming in the first eight points for Memphis. With 2:48 left in the first, Davis joined Shutes in the scoring column, finishing the first quarter with the final six Memphis points scored.

Three more lead changes occurred to start the second quarter. The third change, however, produced a 7-0 ECU run as the Pirates built a six-point lead against Memphis. The Tigers didn't back down, answering with a 10-3 run capped by Shutes' eighth-straight Memphis point to take back the lead, 28-27. In that run, Shutes hit back-to-back three-pointers and finished with 10 second quarter points.

ECU's response was a 5-0 run to own a 32-28 halftime lead against Memphis. Shutes finished the first half with 16 points.

The Pirates came out hot to start the second half, but so did Shutes. Just as ECU knocked down a pair of three-pointers, Shutes knocked down her third and fourth before the first media timeout of the third quarter.

Out of the first media timeout, ECU scored back-to-back baskets and forced a pair of Memphis turnovers to take an eight-point lead. Davis halted ECU's mini-run before an ECU foul led to the second media of the third stanza.

Davis' basket sparked a 6-0 run for Memphis, cutting ECU's lead back down to two, 44-42, with 1:26 remaining in the third. Back-to-back three-pointers by the Pirates saw that lead extend back up to eight before Davis hit another basket at the quarter buzzer.

Memphis pulled within one twice in the fourth quarter before a 5-0 run ending with a look under the basket for Keke Hunter with 5:59 remaining put the Tigers back on top. A jumper by ECU's Taniyah Thompson 15 seconds later proved to be the final lead change in the contest.

ECU held the Tigers without a field goal for the final four and a half minutes while capitalizing from the charity stripe to slowly build a multi-possession lead in the final 30 seconds of the contest.

Memphis finished the game shooting 49.0 percent from the floor and 80.0 percent from the charity stripe. The difference in the contest proved to be in turnovers and points off turnovers as ECU outscored Memphis 23-9 in that category.

Tiger Tidbits

Jamirah Shutes finished with a career-high 32 points, marking the first time she has ever scored at least 30 points in a game at Memphis.
Shutes finished with a career-high five three-pointers made.
Madison Griggs finished with a career-high six assists.
This was the fourth time this season Memphis has recorded at least 18 assists in a contest.
Alana Davis tied her season-high with 17 points.
The Tigers outscored ECU off the bench, 29-11.