Feb. 4, 2010

Box Score

Box Score in PDF Format

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - - In eight of Memphis' last nine wins, they have held their opponent to less than 60 points. Make it nine of their last 10. Memphis scored a big 67-56 win over UAB after holding the Blazers to just 39.6 percent (21-53) shooting from the field. The win improved the Tigers to 13-8 on the season and 6-2 in Conference USA play, good enough for a half game lead for first in the league standings with a tough Houston road swing on the docket for Sunday.

Big bench performances from Alex Winchell and Nicole Dickson, who both scored 16 points led the Tigers, powered Memphis to its win. Dickson, a freshman, has now scored in double figures for three straight games for the first time in her young career.

"I'm happy this evening because I think we got back to who we are defensively, guarding people in the full court and rebounding," Head Coach Melissa McFerrin said. "We found our transition game again a little bit too, that had kind of gone away, but I'm still concerned a little bit about our rebounding, even though we out-rebounded them by five. But tonight we had our identity back, and that's what we didn't have at East Carolina. We worked for this, that was not an easy game. Once we figured out ball screen defense a little bit and kept them from getting in the lane, I thought we were pretty effective."

The Tigers took an 8-0 lead on baskets in the paint from four different players: Savannah Ellis, Taylor Mumphrey, LaToya Bullard, and Dickson. UAB sophomore Shelly Breaux would score on back-to-back possessions for the Blazers, but Ellis would score from the blocks to give Memphis back its momentum.

Memphis would extend that run to 9-0 and make the score 17-4 after a 3-pointer from Dickson and two baskets from Chatia Kelsey. Khalilah Watson would net two from the paint from for UAB before Dickson and Brittany Carter both scored for Memphis.

Bullard swished a 15-footer with 3:29 left until the break to give Memphis their biggest lead of the first half at 34-13. Eight points from Winchell, including a 3-pointer and a three-point play, gave Memphis its biggest boost during that stretch.

The Blazers wouldn't go quietly into halftime, however, ending the half on a 9-0 run, including five points from senior Erica Simpson and four from freshman Jala Harris to make the score 34-22.

Memphis attempted 16 more shots than UAB in the first half (37-21), thanks mostly to 15 forced turnovers in the half, compared to just eight for the Tigers. Of the first 10 possessions of the game, five for each team, nine of them ended in turnovers.

Both benches made significant first-half contributions with the Tigers' bench holding a slight 19-16 edge.

The Blazers continued their hot streak to start the second half, chopping five more points off of the Memphis lead until Dickson hit a deuce with 15:10 to play for Memphis' first points in more than eight minutes of play. Winchell would follow that up with two free throws after Watson was charged with a technical foul with 14:16 remaining.

After a Lonlack free throw made the score 39-27, Amanda Peterson hit a 3-pointer at the shot clock buzzer for UAB. Both teams would trade three baskets apiece before Memphis began a 7-2 run to make the score 52-37. That run was started by a Winchell trey, and included an alley-oop for a lay-up from Winchell to Carter.

Despite four more Carter points, UAB cut the lead back to single digits at 56-47 after a Harris runner. Dickson scored four straight points to push the lead back to 60-47.

UAB would score on three consecutive possessions, but four free throws from Bullard and one from Winchell kept Memphis up 64-53 with 1:47 to play. Both teams would trade free throws from there, as Memphis proved victorious, 67-56.

Memphis out-rebounded UAB 40-35, with Taylor Mumphrey leading the Tigers with eight rebounds. Brittany Carter, who battled a rough shooting night at 4-for-13 and 11 points, added seven rebounds, including five offensive, in the win.

Harris was the lone Blazer to score double-digits, finishing with 20 points, including 13 in the second half. TaRonda Randall led UAB with seven rebounds off the bench.

Memphis returns to C-USA play on Sunday for a 1 p.m. Central Standard Time tipoff on the road against the Houston Cougars. Memphis returns next weekend for a two-game slate against Southern Miss on Friday at 7 p.m. CST and UCF Sunday at 2 p.m. CST. The Southern Miss and UCF games will both be played at Elma Roane Fieldhouse. All three games will be broadcast via radio on FM 91.7 WUMR.