Dec. 14, 2008

Box Score

Complete Box Score in PDF Format

STARKVILLE, Miss. - - The University of Memphis women's basketball team (5-5) were facing a bigger lineup for a third straight game, and came up short on the size chart and the scoreboard, 81-49, in a non-conference loss at Mississippi State (7-0), Sunday.

"Give credit to Mississippi State," Head Coach Melissa McFerrin said. "We knew the length and athleticism of Mississippi State was going to be a problem and that every one of our turnovers was going to turn in to a three-on-one break on the other end and we had two point guards who did not handle that well."

The Mississippi State line-up's size posed problems for Memphis from the start as the Tigers were outrebounded 10-4 and managed just six points, all from senior guard Paris Leonard, in the first eight minutes of the game. At the same time, Mississippi State converted its 10 rebounds in to six second chance points and added eight points off 10 Tiger turnovers to build an 18-6 lead. Memphis could not handle the pressure from the Bulldog guards, which either tipped a ball and disrupted the Memphis offense or which pressured the ball-handlers trying to get across half court.

The pressure meant the Tiger offense remained stalled, managing just one more bucket from Leonard by the 8:03 mark, while getting off just nine shots in the opening 13 minutes, allowing MSU to lead 33-8 at the under eight media timeout.

The remainder of the first half was chippy as the Memphis bench got a warning and the officials had to separate players after a chase after a rebound almost ended up in the Memphis bench. The game crew whistled six of the 11 fouls they called in the final five minutes of the opening half, but the grit allowed Memphis to slowly start picking up momentum; unfortunately 19 first half Tiger turnovers had done their damage in sending the team to the break down 42-19.

The deficit was too much for the team to overcome in the second half, as MSU knocked down back-to-back-to-back three-point field goals to kill any Memphis momentum out of the locker room.

Paris Leonard led Memphis with 20 points, while Ramses Lonlack added 12 points and 11 rebounds for her first career double-double.

Four of the five Mississippi State starters scored double-digits, led by 19 points from guard Alex Rack. The Bulldogs knocked down 11 three-point field goals in the game, six of them in the second half.

The Tigers will have a quick turnaround following this afternoon's game. T he team will return and practice Monday and Tuesday morning, then will make their first flight of the year, winging to the Bahamas for the Sunsplash Shootout. The Tigers will face the University of Texas-Arlington (UTA) on the first day of the tournament on Thursday at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. Memphis time). Both that game and the second day of games (Saturday) can be heard on WUMR, 91.7 FM with Jeff Brightwell on the play-by-play.