University of Memphis Athletics
University of Memphis
4-14,2-5AAC
Tulsa
10-10,4-4AAC
Tigers Outdone by Tulsa in Final Quarter in 64-57 Loss
Jan 25, 2025 | Women's Basketball
TULSA, Okla. – Memphis women's basketball was upended in the fourth quarter on Saturday afternoon at the Reynolds Center, falling to Tulsa on the road, 64-57.
The Tigers (4-14, 2-5 AAC) and the Golden Hurricane (10-10, 4-4 AAC) were tied at the end of the second and third quarters, but the hosts used a 19-12 fourth quarter capped by good free throw shooting to pull away. Alasia Smith had 14 points and 13 rebounds, which gave her 1,229 career boards, the 98th-most in Division-I history. She added three steals and two blocks, and Tilly Boler had a game-high 19 points.
Buckets were hard to come by in the opening quarter, with the teams locked at four points each before a Smith layup broke the deadlock at the 4:46 mark. Boler's three-pointer a minute later was the only long ball of the period for either team in 10 attempts. The squads combined for 14 turnovers (8 for Tulsa; 6 for Memphis) as the Tigers crawled to a 12-9 advantage.
The scoring caught up quickly in the second quarter as both teams scored 13 in the opening five minutes. Memphis led by as much as five before a Golden Hurricane 7-0 run gave them a short-lasting lead. Buckets from Boler and Tanyuel Welch gave Memphis the lead back, and Tulsa tied it at 33 just before halftime.
The Tigers had a 7-0 run of their own to take a 40-35 third-quarter lead, but Tulsa used good defense and free throw shooting to take a small lead. Memphis went through a three-minute scoring drought late in the period, but Smith got to the rim in isolation to tie the game at 45 heading into the fourth.
The Golden Hurricanes took a five-point lead with five minutes remaining and Memphis endured another multiple-minute drought before Boler connected on a corner three to cut the deficit to two. The teams traded buckets as the Tigers failed to tie the game, forcing them to foul and hope for a Tulsa mistake that never came.
Both teams made 23 field goals and four three-pointers, but while Tulsa also struggled at the free-throw line (14-for-23), it was Memphis' woes at the charity stripe (7-for-17) that created the seven-point difference. The hosts' 23 turnovers were the most forced by Memphis in a game this season and were turned into 17 points on the offensive end.
The Tigers will return home for a two-game slate, beginning with Charlotte on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 7:00 p.m.
How to follow the Tigers: For complete information on Memphis Tigers Basketball, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
