With six games left in the regular season, the Lady Tigers are preparing for a late-season surge toward the Conference USA Tournament.
Memphis (11-10, 5-3 in C-USA) defeated East Carolina, 83-62, Friday and Charlotte, 91-56, Sunday at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. The Lady Tigers are now tied with the Houston Lady Cougars for sixth place in the 14-team conference. Only the league’s top 12 teams qualify for the tournament, which begins March 1 in Chicago.
Lady Tiger head coach Joye Lee-McNelis said she hopes her team can build on its three-game winning streak.
“We played with a tremendous amount of intensity and energy,” Lee-McNelis said. “The biggest plus was that we put two halves of basketball together (Sunday).”
Junior guard Kalara McFadyen received Co-C-USA Player of the Week honors Monday after recording a triple-double Sunday with 10 rebounds, 12 assists, and 10 steals in Memphis’ win over Charlotte.
McFadyen’s uncoventional triple-double was even more extraordinary because of the fact that she didn’t attempt a single field goal during the game. Her triple-double is the first in Memphis history and the fifth in C-USA history.
McFadyen’s accomplishment is also believed to be the first scoreless triple-double in NCAA women’s history.
“Now that she has done that, I expect that every game,” Lee-McNelis said. “That definitely says a lot about her abilities. If she can play that well every night, we have an opportunity to get things going.”
The New Zealand native leads Memphis in assists, averaging 4.6 to go with 3.6 steals per game.
Sophomore guard Princess Swilley led Memphis with a game-high 22 points.
“Princess put two good games together this weekend, 18 points on Friday and another good game today,” Lee-McNelis said. “She got us off and running.”
Said Swilley: “I know my role. My role is to come in and make it happen in transition.”
Swilley’s performance took the load off leading scorer Shannon Hamp, who was double-teamed most of the afternoon Sunday after scoring a career-high 30 points and grabbing nine rebounds against East Carolina Friday night.
“I’m proud she got 30 points,” Lee-McNelis said. “She probably could have gotten the ball more, but any of our post players could have. We knew going in that their post players defended from behind.”
Said Hamp: “You’ve got to like it when teams play behind you, because you are always open.”
Swilley added 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds in Friday’s win.
“It is ironic that I got those stats, because (assistant) Coach (Blair) Savage told me before the game that she wanted me to get 18 points and seven rebounds,” Swilley said.
