Alana Davis led the team with 20 points and shot 58.3 percent from the field.
The University of Memphis women’s basketball team ended their three-game losing streak, after defeating the Tulane Green Wave, 65-59. Their record is now 10-15, and they are 5-7 in conference play, with hopes of improving their current ninth-ranked position in the standings.
This victory brings the season series between these two teams to 1-1, with the Tigers avenging the 62-61 overtime defeat they suffered against the Green Wave back in January.
Tigers need to gain consistency on offense
The only constant the Tigers have on offense is that they are consistently inconsistent. There have been games where they’ve looked remarkable as well as games where they seemingly couldn’t get much going. This game showed evidence of both.
They shot 36.8 percent from the field and converted on five of their 15 three-point shots. Alana Davis led the team in points with 20 and shot 58.3 percent from the field. No other player shot more than 50 percent from the field.
Head coach Melissa McFerrin spoke to the media about Davis’ game and expressed her pleasure with the forward’s progression.
“I thought early in the game she got caught a little bit low,†McFerrin said. “She started doing a much better job staying on the right side of the backboard and not getting blocked from behind.â€
On the flip side, they collectively looked dominant in the second quarter, scoring 22 points and shooting 57.1 percent from the field.Â
Melissa McFerrin has coached the team since the 2008-09 season.
Defense showed up when it mattered the mostÂ
The Tigers’ best asset against Tulane was their defense. They have been one of the top teams in the American Athletic Conference as far as their opponent’s shooting percentage and three-point percentage allowed.
Against Tulane, they continued that trend and held the Green Wave to 38.1 percent from the field and 26.7 percent from the three-point line. They managed to hold the Green Wave 59 in the game, just shy of the team’s average of 61.8 points per game.
Memphis shined brightest in the second quarter when they held the Green Wave to just 10 points and allowed them to make just four of their 13 shots in the quarter, good for just 30.8 percent.
Gazmyne Herndon is Memphis’ new facilitator
With the current relationship between the Memphis Tigers and Taylor Barnes in question, the team has been searching through their roster to find someone to fill her absence. The leading candidate for the job seems to be junior guard Herndon.
She has started three out of the last four games, making the most out of her minutes and has become a driving force for the team, both offensively and defensively.
What she lacks in shooting, she makes up for with her ball distribution, and she is second on the team with 65 on the season. In the Tigers’ game against the Tulane Green Wave, she finished with 10 points and four assists. Defensively, she finished with a steal.
Conclusion
This was a much-needed win for the Tigers. The team was in need of a confidence booster after suffering tough losses in their last few games. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but it was a good team win.
This win couldn’t have come at a better time with the team having to prepare for an away game against UConn this Wednesday. There is no doubt this will be a tough hill to climb for the Tigers to get the victory, but McFerrin said she believes this win will help against the Huskies.
“UConn manages to magnify every mistake that you make,†McFerrin said. “We certainly made mistakes today, and we have to understand that if you make those mistakes against one of the top-five teams in the country, they’re gonna make you pay.â€
