Memphis Tigers vs. ECU Pirates Takeaways
The Memphis Tigers defeated the ECU Pirates 58-46 in a defensive battle to lift their season record to 7-10. Memphis have bettered their all-time series record against the Pirates to 17-13. The Tigers have now improved to 2-2 in conference play and will take on the USF Bulls this Wednesday in Tampa.
Defense is the Tigers’ Strongest Asset
One of the strengths of the Tigers’ this season has been their defense and it showed in this game. Prior to today’s contest, ECU averaged 64.2 points per game, but were held to just 46 against Memphis.
ECU shot just 24.7 percent from the field, including 10.5 percent from the beyond the arc. They were also forced to commit 16 turnovers and had three blocked shots. Taylor Barnes thrived defensively and led the team with three steals.
Head coach Melissa McFerrin spoke highly of her teams’ defensive effort against the Pirates but felt like her team still had room for improvement.
“I felt great about or defensive effort,” said McFerrin. “I think the only thing I was disappointed in was our rebounds. Obviously, that’s something we talked about and focused on but we didn’t get that done.”
Tigers’ Offense Thrives in the Paint
The driving force for the Tigers’ offense against the Pirates were their productivity in the paint. 32 of their 58 points came in the paint. A large reason they had so many opportunities from close range is because of their ability to get offensive board. They finished the game with 20 and those led to 21 second chance points.
Ashia Jones Has Potential to be the Spark the Tigers Have Needed
With all of the good that came from today’s game, no better moment evoked the most feeling as when redshirt senior forward, Ashia Jones entered the game. Though this is her third season as a Tiger, this was her first game seeing the court. In her previous two seasons, she suffered back-to-back knee injuries after being a highly touted transfer from UT-Martin.
During her time sophomore season, she averaged 23.4 points per game and was a first-team All American. She was also named the mid-major National Player of the Year by College Sports Madness and the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year.
When she came onto the court in the second quarter, her teammates and fans erupted in support for the talented player. In seven minutes, she had three points, three rebounds, and forced one offensive foul.
When Jones spoke to the media after the game, she explained that as happy as she was to get back on the court, her play today is nothing compared to what will come when she’s fully healthy.
“It feels amazing to be back to help my teammates,” said Jones. “But when I get fully healthy, you’re going to see a monster. Today was just my first day back and I’m just looking forward to getting back into the grove of things. Just want to get back like I never left."
The Tigers’ performance in this game was just a continuation of their stellar play they had in their victory last game against Wichita State. This improvement, especially defensively, couldn’t have come at a better time as the team works toward elevating their position in the American Athletic Conference’s standings. With them now looking ahead to USF, they’ll have a chance to show their might against one of the tougher AAC teams.
Alana Davis holds the ball looking to dish it to her teammate. The Memphis Tigers defeated the ECU Pirates 58-46.
