Nov. 14, 2009

Complete Game Notes in PDF Format

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - - For the second time in three days, the University of Memphis women's basketball team (0-1) will host a team that participated in the WNIT last season. This time, it will be the Murray State Racers (1-0) who will come to the Elma Roane Fieldhouse for the 2 p.m. match-up, Sunday.

The Tigers are coming off a tough four-point loss to Indiana which saw the team come back from a first half deficit that was as big as 14 points to take the lead with 3:44 remaining in the game following a Brittany Carter layup. The Tigers would build the lead to five off a pair of jumpers from Ramses Lonlack, but the one senior on the floor then stepped up her game when Indiana's Jamie Braun scored six of her 11 points in the final 1:51 of the game to seal a 78-74 Indiana victory. Both Carter and freshman Nicole Dickson would score 20 points in the Tigers' opener, while junior center Savannah Ellis added a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds in the loss. Dickson's 20 point effort came in her first-ever collegiate game, as the true freshman from Greeneville, Tenn., missed the Tigers' exhibition game due to injury.

Murray State also got big games from their newcomers in a 72-61 win at Alabama A&M. Freshman guard Mariah Robinson scoring 18 points in her first college game, including a 3-for-4 mark from three-point range. Fellow freshman Jessica Holder added 11 points and five rebounds off the bench, leading the team with five blocks. Sophomore post Kristen Kluempers added 12 points on 6-for-8 shooting and senior Mallory Luckett led all players with 11 rebounds. Murray State won despite being out-rebounded 43-35, helping their own cause by forcing AAMU in to 26 turnovers.

This will be the 12th meeting between Memphis and Murray State, and the Tigers lead the overall series 9-2. Memphis is 4-1 against the Racers in the Elma Roane Fieldhouse, and won the last two meetings, including a 91-64 win over Murray State on Dec. 11, 1993 in the championship game of the Tiger Classic.

Tickets for the game are available for purchase online at www.gotigersgo.com under Tickets or by for purchase at the door. General admission (bleacher) seating is available for $5.00 a game. Jeff Brightwell will also have the play-by-play call of the game on WUMR, 91.7 FM. Fans who have subscribed to the All-Access package can watch live streaming video, with Memphis' live audio, for Sunday's game. All-Access subscriptions are $9.95 a month and are available by signing up at www.gotigersgo.com/All-Access.

The Series History
This is the 12th meeting between the two schools and the Tigers lead the overall series, 9-2. Memphis has won the last two meetings, including a 91-64 decision in the last meeting, on Dec. 11, 1993, in the championship game of the Tiger Classic.

Murray State has one win in five tries in the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. On Dec. 13th, 1991, the Racers upended the Tigers 75-72 in the KU-UPB Classic. That was the first year for head coach Joye-Lee McNelis, who was taking over a team that had gone 6-22 the season before that.

Doubling Up
The Tigers had two different players score 20 points in the regular season opener against Indiana as both Brittany Carter and Nicole Dickson scored 20 in the opener. The last time two Tigers scored 20 points in the same game was in a win at Southern Miss last season in overtime. Alex Winchell (26) and Paris Leonard (21) each went over 20 in the regular season finale.

What Freshman Nerves?
Still working on the research for this, but freshman forward Nicole Dickson didn't show any sign of nerves in her first collegiate game. Dickson was 7-for-14 from the field, 1-for-2 from three-point range and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line, finishing with 20 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal in 27 minutes off the bench.

If that wasn't impressive enough, Dickson had her big game despite not playing in the exhibition game last week. She suffered a concussion and missed the exhibition game, but came out rock solid against Indiana in the opener.

Ellis Opens Season With Double-Double
Savannah Ellis got her first career double-double in December of last season and didn't wait as long to get her second, finishing with 12 points and 11 rebounds in the Indiana game. She also had the team's only block and played 36 minutes, shooting 5-for-9 from the field. Seven of her 11 rebounds came on the offensive glass.

Ellis' block in the Indiana game moved her in to a tie for seventh all-time in the Tiger record book with 56 blocks. She is now tied with former Tiger Kitty Allen (1993-97) and is one away from catching Megan Gooch (2003-2007).

Ramping up the Defense
At one point in the Indiana game, the Hoosiers were shooting an astounding 72 percent in the opening half, while opening up a 14-point lead. But much to the Tigers credit, Memphis cut the deficit to just six at the half. Memphis forced 21 Indiana turnovers to help narrow the gap and eventually take the lead late in the second half, with sophomore guard Ramses Lonlack leading all players with four steals.

Those four steals give her 69 for her 31-game-old Tiger career (2.23/game).

Points Are There, Looking for Better Percentages
Sophomore guard Brittany Carter is trying to take on a new role on a team that she could only practice with last season. Carter scored 25 points in the Tigers' exhibition game, and scored 20 against Indiana, but she was 6-for-22 from the floor against Indiana, and 1-for-5 from three-point range. Memphis will need her to have some more consistency to help open up her teammates around her.

First Career Points in the Books
With so many few faces, it'll be likely we have a lot of career firsts. But Friday night, five Tigers scored their first career points. Brittany Carter and Nicole Dickson led the way with 20 points apiece, while Christine Lesane came off the bench with six points, including 1-for-1 from three-point range. Taylor Mumphrey and Chatia Kelsey also got their first points in the Blue and Gray on Friday at FedExForum.

Winchell Opening Season at the Point
Coming in to the season, it was thought that with redshirt senior LaToya Bullard and freshman Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir in the line-up, that junior guard Alex Winchell, who started 18 of 30 games at the point last season, would see more time at the two-guard spot. A solid three-point shooter, the addition of the other two should have meant more open shots for Winchell from beyond the arc.

But Bullard is still learning Melissa McFerrin's offense and Abdul-Qaadir tore her ACL in pre-season, so when the starting lineups were announced Friday night, Winchell found herself back at the point, where she turned in a solid six-assist against two turnover night. The junior apparently never found the FedExForum rims to her liking though, as she was 0-for-6 from three-point range, the first time since the SMU game last year (Feb. 12th) that she hadn't hit a three in a game.

If history is any sign though, Winchell went just five out of 30 games last year without a three, hitting multiple threes in 11 of 30 games.

Maybe It'll Be a Better Result in the Fieldhouse
Sadly, the women's basketball team is still looking for their first win at FedExForum following the Indiana loss (which dropped them to 0-and-9 all-time. But if the team can repeat on last year's start in the Elma Roane Fieldhouse, things will be much brighter, as Memphis was 5-0 in the Fieldhouse last year to start the season before suffering a loss to UAB in the televised Conference USA opener.

Tigers in Season Openers
The loss to Indiana dropped Memphis to 19-17 all-time in its season openers. The last time Memphis lost its opening game was in 2007-08, when they fell 74-58 to Tennessee Tech.

Tigers Ink Second Ranked Recruiting Class
After signing the No. 60 ranked recruiting class last season, Memphis has followed it up with the No. 47 ranked recruiting class this season. Mary Jackson and Jasmine Lee both count in next year's recruiting class because of transfer rules, but the Tigers added a left-handed post player from Mesquite, Texas, on the first day of the early signing period with the addition of Sharee "KK" Harvey. Freshman point guard Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir is not included in that ranking from the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report yet.

How's an 80 Percent Improvement?
The hiring of Melissa McFerrin stirred the excitement level of Tiger fans. From the 2007-08 to the 2008-09 season, there was an over 80 percent increase in game attendance at the University of Memphis, including three FedExForum games and a full slate of Elma Roane Fieldhouse contests.

Here is a look at what are our opponents are up to (:

Indiana (1-0): Picked up program's 600th win 78-74 at Memphis; hosts IUPUI, Sunday.
Murray State (1-0): Opened the season with a road win at Alabama A&M, 72-61.
Missouri (0-0): Hosts Northern Iowa, Sunday, at 5 p.m..
UT Martin (0-0): Opens new head coach Kevin McMillian's career Wednesday against Belmont.
Sacramento State (0-0): Opens new head coach Jamie Craighead's career with a home game against Cal State-Fullerton, Sunday.
Eastern Washington (0-0): Opens the season at Portland, Saturday.
Florida International (1-1): Bounced back from an 87-71 loss at NC State with a 64-61 overtime win against Western Michigan.
South Alabama (0-1):Lost at Southern Miss, 72-53.
Ole Miss (1-0): Got a triple double from Kayla Melson in a 80-42 win over SE Louisiana.
Northwestern State (1-0):Defeated NCAA DII Arkansas-Monticello, 85-61.
Louisiana Tech (1-0): Downed Centenary, 88-41.
Jackson State (0-0): Hosts Tennessee State, Saturday.
Saint Louis (1-0): Downed Southern Illinois, 71-45.
Tulsa (0-0): Hosts UMKC, Tuesday.
SMU (1-0): Downed Loyola Marymount 78-58.
UCF (17-17): Opens at Middle Tennessee, Sunday.
Southern Miss (1-0): Downed South Alabama, 72-53.
Rice (0-1): Fell at UT Arlington 81-64.
Marshall (0-1): Lost to Appalachian State, 63-58
East Carolina (1-0): Defeated Charlotte 84-61.
UAB (1-0): Defeated Alcorn State 76-62
Houston (1-0): Won at Gardner-Webb 86-64
Tulane (1-0): Downed in-state foe UL Monroe, 86-52
UTEP (0-1): Lost at Florida Gulf Coast 66-54