The Memphis women’s basketball team (10-15, 5-7 American Athletic Conference) will take on their most difficult opponent of the season: the No. 3 University of Connecticut Huskies (23-2, 11-0 AAC). Memphis is coming off of a 65-59 road victory against the Tulane Green Wave, ending their previous three-game losing streak. UConn’s faced the UCF Knights last match, which resulted in a 78-41 victory on the road and an extension of their current win streak to five games. The last time the Tigers faced off against the Huskies was last January when the Huskies decimated the team 93-36.
Memphis Tigers
The Tigers picked up a much-needed victory last Saturday against Tulane, who defeated them in overtime in an earlier matchup in January. Forward Alana Davis led the way, scoring 20 points and adding 10 rebounds to post her ninth double-double of the season. Guard Jamirah Shutes, scored 19 points, her fifth game in a row where she’s scored double-digit points.
The Tigers limited Tulane to shooting 38.1 percent from the field and a meager 26.7 percent from behind the three-point line. They were most physical in the paint, where they only allowed the Green Wave to make 14 of their attempted 33 layups, which was good for just 42 percent. Their defensive performance was a much-needed revelation after its showing against Cincinnati last Wednesday. Off the bench, guard Malainna “Rudy” White was all over the court and totaled two steals and a block in 12 minutes of action.
UConn Huskies
No. 3 ranked UConn also handled their business in their last matchup after thumping the UCF Knights to get their 11th straight win in conference play. They overcame a slow second quarter, where they scored just 11 points and outscored the Knights 44-24 in the second half.
Forward Napheesa Collier led the team in scoring with 18 points, shooting a top-notch 72 percent from the field. Collier’s fellow starting teammates each scored at least 12 points. Forward Katie Lou Samuelson led the team in minutes and although she went 0-5 from the field, she had a steady impact by converting on all 12 of her free throw attempts.
For what UConn did offensively, they did even better defensively. They held UCF to completing just 34 percent of their shots from the field and 23.1 percent from behind the three-point line. They shined brightest in the first quarter, where they held them to just four points in the opening quarter. Forward Olivia Nelson-Ododa made the most of her minutes and had three blocks coming off the bench.
Game prediction
There is a reason why UConn is the No. 3 ranked team in the country, and it’s not just because of their cute mascot. This team has been an AAC powerhouse for years, and for the Tigers too pull off an upset, a lot of good things have to happen.
For starters, they have to continue with their improving free throw shooting. Against Tulane, they outdid their season average free throw shooting percentage (67.1 percent) by making 78.3 percent of their attempts. For a team that seemed to struggle mightily behind the line, their improved shooting has been a definite plus for the team.
They also have to gain consistency on offense. Only Alana Davis shot over 50 percent in last Saturday’s game, and the Tigers made just five of their 15 three-point attempts. If the Tigers are going to compete with the Huskies, their shooting has to be much better to ensure the game doesn’t get too out of reach too soon.
Even with those two factors working in their favor, it would still be difficult for Memphis to keep themselves in the game, especially on the road. I believe their defense will allow them to keep the game manageable in the first quarter or so, but with the offensive firepower UConn has, things can quickly get too far out of Memphis’ grasp.
Score prediction: 79-50, UConn
