Dec. 19, 2008

NASSAU, Bahamas - - The University of Memphis women's basketball team (5-6 overall) will try to get back to .500 on Saturday with a non-conference match-up against Winthrop University at noon (ET).

Memphis is looking to snap a four-game losing streak that has dropped the Tigers below .500 for the first time this season. Winthrop comes in to the game looking to get its offense back on track after struggling against No. 25 Georgia Tech in the opening round to put just 15 points on the board in the opening 20 minutes.

There is some history between the two programs, as both programs opened their respective 2006-07 seasons at the Louisville tournament against one another. Winthrop was a team of mostly sophomores facing a Memphis team that consisted of six freshmen all playing in their first collegiate game.

The Eagles shot 47.6 percent in the opening half of that meeting, leading 45-30 at the halftime break. Memphis recovered to shoot better in the second half, hitting 41.4 percent from the floor, but first half hole was too much to overcome, and Winthrop prevailed with an 83-60 victory, the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

Only two Tigers currently on the squad were a member of that Memphis program, but Winthrop returns five seniors who played in that game, including senior forward Ashley Fann, who got a double-double in that last meeting with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Fann leads Winthrop with 13.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Senior guard Tiffany Rodd adds 8.6 points per game, while Ashley Haugtvedt adds 8.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

Memphis will have to get back on track in many facets against Winthrop to snap the current skid. The Tigers have been out-rebounded in three straight games and have no committed less than 26 turnovers in any of the past four outings.

The Tiger defense, which was a huge part of the team's early success, has not had double-digit steals since a 13-steal outing in the win over Stephen F. Austin back in November. The defense has also allowed opposing team to shoot over 40 percent in three of the last four games, while the Tiger offense has not hit over 40 percent from the floor since the Ohio game.

The Memphis offense went stagnant Thursday night, with the team's top three scorers managing to score just a combined 12 points against UT Arlington. Paris Leonard, who leads the team with 16.4 ppg, scored just four against UTA, while Ashley Thornton, who averages 10.0 points and 8.5 rebounds, finished with eight points and six rebounds. Freshman Ramses Lonlack, who averages 8.5 points and 5.5 rebounds a night, was held scoreless for the first time in her young collegiate career, adding just four rebounds.

The game can be heard on WUMR, 91.7 FM beginning at 10:45 a.m. (CT). Jeff Brightwell will have the play-by-play call on the game which will be the first game of a five-game slate in the gym on Saturday. The game will tip at noon (ET), with the pre-game show starting 15 minutes prior to tip-off at 11:45 (ET).