Upset-minded Tigers prepare for AAC Tournament on Monday

Monday, March 8

Dickies Arena / Fort Worth, Texas

4:30 PM

University of Memphis

Cincinnati

Photo by: Matthew A. Smith

Upset-minded Tigers prepare for AAC Tournament on Monday

Mar 07, 2021 | Women's Basketball

Memphis Game Notes (PDF)AAC WBB Tournament Bracket

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Memphis Tigers women's basketball team will face off with Cincinnati for the third time this season on Monday, March 8, as No. 10 seed Memphis duels with the No. 7 seed Bearcats in the first round of the 2021 American Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championship. Memphis (4-14, 2-11 AAC) and Cincinnati (7-15, 6-12 AAC) split their regular season series, with the road team winning each matchup.

Game Details
2021 American Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championship
Opening Round
No. 10 Memphis (4-12, 2-11 AAC) vs. No. 7 Cincinnati (7-15, 6-12 AAC)
Monday, March 8
Dickies Arena – Fort Worth, Texas
4:30 p.m. CT tip-off
(Winner to face No. 2 seed UCF on Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT)

STATS: Memphis.StatBroadcast.com
TV: ESPN+ (PxP: Sam Gore; Analyst: Christy Thomaskutty)
AUDIO: GoTigersGo.com/Listen (PxP: Tyler Springs)

History with Cincinnati
Memphis leads the all-time series with Cincinnati, 35-23, though the Bearcats have held the edge in recent seasons. The Tigers' only win against Cincinnati since 2016 came in January at Fifth Third Arena, 61-52, snapping an eight-game head-to-head losing streak. Cincinnati has ended the Tigers' season in each of the last two American Athletic Conference tournaments, each time in the second round. Memphis has not reached the 70-point threshold against Cincinnati since January 28, 2000, a span of 21 games.

Memphis Against The AAC Tournament Field
An upset by the Tigers would be their third in three consecutive seasons as one of the bottom-half seeds in the AAC Tournament, following an upset of SMU last year and a record-setting comeback against Temple in 2019. Awaiting the winner of Monday's game is No. 2 seed UCF, whom the Tigers did not face in the regular season because of multiple postponements based on COVID-19 protocols. If Memphis were to score back-to-back upsets in this tournament, they would reach the AAC semis for the first time in program history, squaring off with either No. 6 seed East Carolina or No. 3 seed Houston. Both ECU and the Cougars swept Memphis in the regular season. Memphis has never won multiple games in the AAC Tournament; their all-time record in AAC Tournament games is 3-7.

Scouting the Bearcats
Cincinnati closed the regular season with three straight wins, highlighted by a conference record 51-point effort from AAC Player of the Year IImar'I Thomas against ECU. Thomas leads the league in scoring (23.9 PPG), field goal percentage (54.5%), free throw percentage (81.8%) and minutes per game (39.3) and has posted five games of at least 30 points this year, one shy of tying the AAC single-season record. Thomas is averaging 23.5 PPG against Memphis this season and has shot 50% from the floor (18-of-36) against the Tigers. Freshman guard Jillian Hayes earned AAC All-Freshman honors and leads the team with 31 steals for third-year head coach Michelle Clark-Heard.

Among American Athletic Conference teams, Cincinnati is ranked:
>>1^st in blocks per game (4.5)
>>1^st in free throw percentage (71.4%)
>>2^nd in assists per game (15.0)
>>3^rd in field goal percentage (41.2%)

Tracking the Tigers
Memphis is looking to snap a seven-game skid and win their first game under interim head coach Michele Savage, who took the reins after the February 14 retirement of Melissa McFerrin. The Tigers are captained by second-team All-AAC forward Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu (13.8 points per game, 10.55 rebounds per game), point guard Aerial Wilson (2^nd in the AAC with 5.9 assists per game), and shooting guard Madison Griggs (team-high 35 three-pointers). Just behind Mendjiadeu, senior forward Alana Davis is also scoring in double figures (11.2 points per game) and recently crossed the 1,000-point threshold for her Tiger career.

Mendjiadeu is averaging 18.5 PPG and 12 RPG against the Bearcats this year, earning a double-double in each meeting between the sides. Memphis split the season series with Cincinnati this season, with each team winning on the road.

Among American Athletic Conference teams, Memphis is ranked:
>>2^nd in blocked shots per game (4.1)
>>3^rd in free throw percentage (68.9%)
>>3^rd in personal fouls per game (15.7)
>>2^nd in per-game rebounding margin (5.6)
>>2^nd in rebounds per game (41.33)

Go Tigers Go!
Keep tabs on the Tigers on social media at Facebook.com/MemphisWBB, follow @MemphisWBB on Twitter and Instagram, or download the official Memphis Tigers app to your smartphone or tablet.