Dec. 11, 2008

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. - - Maybe it was playing the same day as finishing final exams, but it was more likely a longer, athletic South Alabama squad that grabbed 22 offensive rebounds and converted 40 of their 66 points that frustrated the University of Memphis women's basketball team (5-4) in a 66-49 loss at FedExForum, Thursday night.

"I was fully expecting to have a team that would perform better than we did," Head Coach Melissa McFerrin said. "I'll give it to South Alabama. They are a very good team. We weren't up to the challenge tonight, and it was a lot of different things. I thought that our ball-handling and decision making was less than stellar this evening. Our transition defense was poor as well. It pains me to say this, we didn't compete."

For a second straight game, Memphis struggled to score, hitting 3-of-14 from the field in the opening minutes. But the Tigers converted back-to-back bucket and ones to take a 17-16 lead, after going 4-for-7 from the field between the under 12 and under eight minute media timeouts.

But Memphis maybe should have hoped the staff at the game missed the under eight minute media timeout, as the break gave South Alabama an opportunity to regroup and power up for an 11-0 run that not only took away Memphis' final lead of the night, but allowed the Jaguars to go out 27-17. By the time Paris Leonard knocked down a bucket to snap the Tiger scoring drought, there was only 3:48 left in the first half, and USA quickly answered the Leonard bucket and a Savannah Ellis layup with a pair of three-point field goals to build a 35-23 half time lead.

In the dressing room, the Tiger coaching staff tried to inspire a lackadaisical squad to execute on their own end better, as the USA press was not what forced Memphis in to 14 first half turnovers.

But the talk went for naught, as Memphis committed seven turnovers in the first five and a half minutes of the second half, watching as the Jaguars took Tiger passes intended for teammates in the paint to the other end for easy transition buckets. South Alabama build the lead up to as many as 26 before a pair of back-to-back Memphis threes made the score look closer than it was.

"We had terrible movement in our offensive sets tonight," McFerrin said. "We were a team that wanted it to be easy. We wanted a team to come in here and hand us over a game. We made so many mistakes on just changes in defense or on offensive calls. We couldn't run a set tonight with any precision, and when no one is moving in our offense, it's easy for the defense to sag and sit on passing zones and to get hands in passing lanes."

In her first game of eligibility this season, Ra'Shawna Sippio led USA with a double-double of 18 points and 14 rebounds, adding five blocks and two steals in 28 minutes. Shakira Nettles added 14 points, while Jessica Starling scored nine points with five rebounds. In all, South Alabama barely out-rebounded Memphis, 44-43, but 20 of their 44 boards were under their own glass. The Jaguars scored 17 points on second chances and scored 23 points off Tiger turnovers.

Memphis was led by Shekeira Copeland, who scored a career-best 15 points on the evening, adding nine rebounds in 21 minutes. Paris Leonard added 11 points off the bench, while Ashley Thornton finished with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Memphis managed just eight steals on the evening and finished with 26 turnovers.

The Tigers have little time to shake off the loss, as the team will bus to Starkville, Miss., for a Sunday game against an undefeated Mississippi State team, at 2 p.m.