The Memphis Tigers defeated the SMU Mustangs 55-44 in the final regular season game of the season.
The win puts Memphis at 19-9 on the season, which is the team’s most since the 2011 season. It also marks the seventh consecutive win for the Tigers after going a perfect 6-0 in February.
The win also gives Memphis the second seed in the AAC ahead of the conference tournament.
The highest seeding in program history as Memphis was projected to be the fifth seed at the beginning of the season.
The win did not come easy as the Tigers had trouble shooting the ball as they only shot 37 percent from the field, 14 percent from three, and 50 percent from the free-throw line.
The defensive and rebounding effort carried the way for them as they forced 15 turnovers on Tulane.
Memphis led the boards with a 45-28 advantage as they prevented multiple late-game runs from Tulane. The Tigers would extend their lead to 14 late in the fourth quarter to seal the game away.
Jamirah Shutes led the team with 14 points and Madison Griggs followed with 13 points. Hannah Riddick and Destiny Thomas both contributed with 6 points and 8 rebounds.
Dynah Jones led Tulane with 15 points and Marta Galic helped out with 11 points in the loss for the Green Wave.
The credit will go to the Tigers players for a successful regular season, but the credit goes mostly to head coach Katrina Merriweather.
Coach Merriweather in just her second season has given the team their best regular season in years. It has been evident throughout the season that the team has a lot of energy and chemistry whether it comes to a loss or a win.
The Tigers have been resilient despite not having the best start to the season with a slightly difficult schedule for them.
This season gives hope back to the program as fans have a lot to look forward to in the next coming seasons.
They will look to make a push towards winning the conference tournament and earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The Tigers will look to earn their first NCAA Tournament berth since the 1997-98 season.
Memphis will have a chance to rest before their first conference tournament matchup on March 7th versus the winner of Tulsa vs UCF. The game will take place at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+ and 98.9 FM The ROAR.
