Memphis Women’s Basketball has dropped yet another game, this time at the hands the Southern Miss Eagles 82-69. This marks the fifth loss in a row for the Tigers and their fourth on the road, where they are winless.
It comes near the end of a non-conference schedule that Memphis could’ve realistically gone at or slightly above .500, but an unexpected injury to senior forward Hannah Riddick derailed those plans. Now, Memphis faces the toughest part of their schedule so far with zero momentum and the worst record in the AAC.
Turnover Troubled Tigers
In this game, Memphis turned the ball over a staggering 20 times, 11 of which came because of steals. For the season, Memphis averages 16.5 per game through eight contests. It is extremely difficult to win a game of basketball when Southern Miss has 23 points off turnovers.
The turnovers could be nullified by an offense that can produce points at an elite level, which the Tigers don’t quite have. Memphis averages a respectable 72.4 points per game, but that is not nearly enough production to offset the almost 19 points off turnovers per game they give up.
A One-Woman Army
The offensive issues mainly revolve around the fact that Tilly Boler had to act as a one-person army. She had 22 points and an efficient night from three, going 4-9. The rest of the team went 2-10 from three and only two others had double digit points. Southern Miss had four in double digits and a much cleaner outing from deep.
The Bright Side
While a 2-6 start with a turnover prone team was certainly not what anyone wanted, there are still positives to be taken away from this game and the non-conference run as a whole.
The Tigers are one of the best teams in the country on the offensive glass, ranking 18th at the DI level going into the game. They had 12 boards on offense in this game.
This is a team of grinders. Coach Alex Simmons has done a phenomenal job of establishing a fighting culture at Memphis. Even in garbage time down a lot of points, there were still effort plays being made as if the game were tied.
The Tigers stay on the road as they face another Sun Belt opponent, Troy, on December 14th.
