The University of Memphis Women’s Basketball team is well into their 2016-2017 season and currently holds an 8-10 record (1-4 AAC).
The team started the season 3-7, but hit a stride mid-December, winning four in a row, including a crucial win against Vanderbilt. Â
Memphis is last in the conference in points per game, but defense is their strongpoint. They are in the top five the American Athletic Conference in steals per game (9.3) and defensive rebounds per game (34.3).
Williams drives the lane and goes up for a floater as Cheyenne Creighton moves into position for the offensive rebound. Creighton leads the team with 72 offensive boards.
           Head coach Melissa McFerrin is in her ninth season as head coach and has nine players who were on the team last season, including leading point scorer, Cheyenne Creighton.
Creighton is in the top 10 of the AAC in points per game and shooting percentage with 14.9 points and shooting 52.8 percent from the field.
Junior guard Brea Elmore is not far behind Creighton in scoring, averaging 13.6 points per game, and she also second on the team in assists with 2.8 per game.
Guard Taylor Williams, along with Elmore, lead the team in three point shooting. Elmore leads the team shooting 37.7 percent from deep, but Williams has made a team high 26 threes.
McFerrin has played with the starting lineup this season. Williams and Creighton are the only two players who have started each game, and seven different players have made a start.
The Tigers started conference play New Years Day against Temple, and they will stay in AAC play for the remainder of the regular season. With an 8-10 record, it will be tough for the Tigers to make an NCAA tournament appearance, but there are still 11 games remaining in the regular season that they will try to win.
Their next game is in Philadelphia January 21 against Temple (14-3). Then they will follow that up with two straight home games. Houston (8-10) the 25th and UCF (12-6) the 28th.
The Tigers lost their first matchup of the season with Temple, but showed they can compete with one of the best teams in the AAC. They lost 73-67 in overtime behind a solid performance from Williams, Elmore and Creighton.
The Trio combined to score 52 points, grab 18 boards and collect eight assists. But Temple had five score double digits, and three players record double-doubles.
Memphis beat UCF earlier this season (65-62) on Elmore’s 25 points and two assists. She was the only Tiger to make a three pointer going three of seven from beyond the arch and led the team with two steals.
Creighton added to Elmore’s big game with 16 points and three assists, going six for six from the charity stripe.
The Tigers have not played Houston this season, but they defeated the Cougars both times they met up last year.
With three winnable conference games coming up, Memphis has a chance to turn around their season and earn a better seeding for the conference tournament.
Taylor Williams takes a corner jumper in the exhibition loss against Lee University. Williams leads the team with 26 made three-point shots. Â
