University of Memphis Athletics
University of Memphis
6-16,4-7AAC
Florida Atlantic
10-15,2-10AAC
Stifling Defense, Three-Point Barrage Lift Memphis Over FAU, 73-60
Feb 08, 2025 | Women's Basketball
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis women's basketball used a 44-31 second-half advantage to cruise to a 73-60 victory over Florida Atlantic on Saturday afternoon inside Elma Roane Fieldhouse.
The Tigers (6-16, 4-7 AAC) hit 12 three-pointers – second-most this season – propelled by eight from the bench unit (five from Liz Martino, three from Elauna Eaton). DeeDee Hagemann had 13 points, nine assists and three steals, and Tamya Smith also made a major contribution with a career-high nine rebounds and six points. The 60 points allowed was the fewest in a Tiger game this season.
Tilly Boler hit two threes early in the opening quarter to give Memphis a lead, but the Tigers endured a four-minute scoring drought as Florida Atlantic crept ahead. After missing seven consecutive field goal attempts, Eaton broke the ice with a three-ball before a Hagemann and-one layup gave Memphis a 16-14 advantage after 10 minutes.
The Tiger run extended to 12 in the second quarter before Maria Myklebust hit the Owls' first three in seven attempts. The squads combined to miss 13 consecutive field goals before a 10-0 FAU run gave them a three-point lead in tandem with Memphis' second four-minute scoring drought of the first half. Alasia Smith converted a layup to stop the run, and Tanyuel Welch converted a free throw as the game headed into the interval tied at 29.
Florida Atlantic took a 40-36 lead early in the third quarter, but a flurry of threes kept the Tigers in relative control. Hagemann dove onto the scorer's table, sprinted back into the action and buried a three-pointer in the corner, and Eaton got fouled from behind the arc and converted on all three charity-stripe attempts. Subsequent threes by Eaton and Martino gave Memphis a two-point lead headed into the final stanza.
The Tigers scored five quick points to lead by seven before the Owls responded with four points of their own. The host's lead hung between three and seven points for over half of the quarter before Martino buried two more threes to take a 12-point advantage with just two minutes remaining. The eventual 13-point victory ties for the highest margin of victory for Memphis this season (Samford, 88-75).
FAU's Mya Perry, who ranks third in conference play with 16.8 points per game, was held to just eight points on 3-for-8 shooting. The Tigers won the rebounding battle for the fourth time this season, grabbing 45 boards to the Owls' 41, and held a positive assist-to-turnover ratio. Memphis' three-point shooting continued to roll, shooting 42.9% in addition to a 78.9% hit rate at the free throw line.
The Tigers will begin their week-long Texas road trip with a rematch against North Texas on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at 6:30 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.
