The University of Memphis women’s basketball team (10-17, 5-9 American Athletic Conference) will be facing the SMU Mustangs (10-17, 4-10 AAC) March 2 in their last away game of the regular season.
The University of Memphis women’s basketball team (10-17, 5-9 American Athletic Conference) will be facing the SMU Mustangs (10-17, 4-10 AAC) this Saturday in their late away game of the regular season.
In the Tigers’ previous contest, they suffered a crushing loss to Houston, 59-57, extending their current losing streak to two games. SMU is currently on a two-game win streak, with their latest win coming against Tulane, 64-60.Â
Memphis TigersÂ
Despite strong offensive performances by guard Jamirah Shutes and forward Alana Davis, the Tigers were unable to make consistent offensive strides throughout the game. They shot 36.7 percent from the field, and none of the nine players who suited up shot more than 50 percent from the field.
Shutes led the team in points with 20, posting her fifth game of 20 or more points. Davis had 16 points of her own, rebounding from her two-point game against UConn. Guard Malainna ‘Rudy’ White posted her career-high in points with six points in 28 minutes of action.
Even with the struggles on offense, Memphis’ defense had a standout performance during much of the game. Houston scored 59 points, which is less than their average 70.1 points per game, and held them to shooting 44.9 percent from the field.
Their best asset was their assertiveness on defense. They forced Houston to commit 20 turnovers, which helped their offense to score 23 points off of turnovers. Shutes led the team with four steals, and White was right behind her with three.
UofM women’s basketball head coach Melissa McFerrin spoke with media after the game to explain what she thought cost her team the game down the stretch.
“It was two offensive rebounds and free throws,†McFerrin said. “They got two offensive rebounds on free throws. We missed some late free throws, and that was the difference in the game. I tell the kids all the time, ‘Games are won and lost at the free-throw line,†particularly with offensive rebounds, and they got two of them late.â€
The University of Memphis women’s basketball team (10-17, 5-9 American Athletic Conference) will be facing the SMU Mustangs (10-17, 4-10 AAC) March 2 in their last away game of the regular season.
SMU Mustangs
The Mustangs’ win against Tulane came in big partly because of the performance of guard Ariana Whitfield. She led the team with 24 points and shot 75 percent from the field. Her biggest achievement came from behind the three-point line, where she made six of her eight attempted shots.
The team collectively shot 38 percent from the field and 40 percent from the three-point line. Three players scored at least one three-point shot in the game.
SMU’s defense repeatedly made life difficult for the Green Wave to get their shots going, limiting them to convert on just 18 of their 51 shot attempts, good for just 35.3 percent from the field. They were quick to get to the ball, stealing 11 passes and were led by guards Jaquia White and Whitfield both with three.Â
Game prediction
SMU is the most evenly matched opponent Memphis has had in weeks. Playing SMU will give them a chance to see how well they may stack up in the AAC. With just two games left in the regular and the team seemingly becoming more and more fractured, they need to win their final two games to boost morale.
If they want to win this game, they have to get more offensive contribution from their entire roster and not just from Shutes and Davis. Players like White and Ashia Jones have shown flashes of what they can do, but it’s been difficult for them to make it a more consistent thing. If those two can add to the play that the Tigers are already getting, Memphis will have something to look forward to ahead of next season.
Score prediction: Memphis 57, SMU 52
