Tigers prep for two Temple games in three nights

Tuesday, March 2

Philadelphia, PA

2:30 PM

University of Memphis

Temple

Memphis vs. Liberty Women’s Basketball - Coriah Beck

Photo by: Matthew A. Smith

Mar 01, 2021 | Women's Basketball

Memphis Game Notes (PDF)

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – For the third straight season, the Memphis Tigers women's basketball team will play the same American Athletic Conference opponent in consecutive March games. This time, both matchups will come in the regular season, as the Tigers (4-12, 2-9 AAC) convene in Philadelphia with the Temple Owls (9-10, 9-7 AAC) for a two-game series over three days.

Game Details
Game 1: Memphis (4-12, 2-9 AAC) vs. Temple (9-10, 9-7 AAC)
Tuesday, March 2
Pearson & McGonigle Hall
2:30 p.m. CT tip-off

Game 2: Memphis vs. Temple
Thursday, March 4
Pearson & McGonigle Hall
11 a.m. CT tip-off

STATS: Memphis.StatBroadcast.com
TV: ESPN+
AUDIO: GoTigersGo.com/Listen

History with Temple
The all-time series between Memphis and Temple favors the Owls, 9-3. The teams have traded wins in their last four meetings: Temple has the most recent victory (78-64 last year in Philadelphia), but Memphis has won twice away from home in the last four years. The most recent Tiger victory came in the 2019 American Athletic Conference Tournament, when Memphis set a tournament record by rallying from a 19-point deficit to upset the Owls, 59-58, in opening round action. The Tigers and Owls made history in 2016 when they matched an NCAA Division I women's basketball record by playing a five-overtime game on Feb. 19, 2016 at Roane Fieldhouse. Memphis won, 100-97.

Scouting the Owls
Temple has averaged 42 points per game over their last two contests, losing to then-No. 13 USF and UCF in the last week of February. The Owls' 61-37 loss to UCF on Saturday was their worst shooting performance of the year: They converted a season-low 22% of their field goals against the Knights, scoring nine or fewer points in each of the first three quarters of the game. Freshman Jasha Clinton led the Owls with 10 points, and senior Mia Davis added eight while becoming the Owls' all-time leader in made free throws. Davis tops the Owls in scoring (18.1 PPG) and rebounding (7.7 RPG) for 13^th-year head coach Tonya Cardoza.

Among American Athletic Conference teams, Temple is ranked:
>>2^nd in total free throw attempts (374)
>>3^rd in total free throws made (240)
>>5^th in assists per game (13.6)

Tracking the Tigers
Memphis ran out of gas in an 81-62 defeat at East Carolina on Saturday, hamstrung by 24 turnovers in the setback. Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu led all Tigers with 12 points, joined in double figures by Madison Griggs (11) and Jatyjia Jones (10). The Tigers went winless in February and are still seeking their first win under interim head coach Michele Savage after losses to ECU and Tulane.

Mendjiadeu leads the team in scoring (14.3 PPG) and rebounding (10.6 RPG). The Nkongsamba, Cameroon native is also the only AAC player who ranks among the top five in the league in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage (45.9%), and blocks per game (1.25). She and teammate Aerial Wilson --- who has posted a career-high 6.1 assists per game this year, the 10^th-best mark in the nation --- are the Tigers' nominees for the league's Most Improved Player Award, part of the all-conference honors scheduled to be announced on March 7.

Among American Athletic Conference teams, Memphis is ranked:
>>2^nd in rebounding average (40.81)
>>3^rd in rebounding margin (+4.9)
>>3^rd in free throw percentage (69.3%)

Diving Deeper
>>The back-to-back games against the Owls are the result of the two schools rescheduling their Feb. 20 matchup, which had been postponed due to snow in the Memphis area.

>>Memphis is playing the same opponent in consecutive games in March for the third time in three seasons. The Tigers fell to SMU to end the regular season last year and then beat the Mustangs in the first round of the American Athletic Conference Tournament. The same scenario happened two years ago, when the Tigers finished their regular season with a loss to Temple before upending the Owls with an unprecedented comeback in the opening round of the AAC's tournament.

>>Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu can move into the top five in school history with one more double-double – she currently ranks sixth all-time with 23 career double-doubles.

>>Senior Alana Davis is six points away from becoming the 26^th Tiger to reach the 1,000-point plateau.

Go Tigers Go!
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