MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Memphis Tiger women’s basketball team picked up their second consecutive American Athletic Conference win today after taking down the Owls of Temple University 64-53.
Following today’s game, Memphis moves to 11-8 overall and 3-3 in AAC play.
The Temple defense got out to a hot start, holding Memphis to just four points in the opening portion of the first quarter. After facing a deficit as much as seven, the Tiger offense would get three straight buckets from Lanetta Williams, Jamirah Shutes and Emani Jefferson to take the 15-13 score into the second quarter.
Memphis would make their comeback in the second quarter led behind seven points from Williams and two gigantic blocks from Jefferson.
The Tigers would close out the first half on an 8-2 run that was capped off with a buzzer-beater lay-up from Williams to give Memphis the 28-26 lead into the break.
A dominating third quarter would ignite the Tigers offense while their lockdown defense held the Owls to just seven points. Memphis’ offense would string together a 9-0 run that was capped off with a three-pointer from Madison Griggs to give the Tigers a 13-point lead.
Following a free throw from Shutes at the end of the third quarter to put Memphis up 45-33, the Tigers would extend their lead out to as much as 22 in the fourth quarter; Griggs would get hot from long range with back-to-back threes after Shutes and Jefferson sank four consecutive free throws to give the Tigers a cushion heading into the final minutes.
Temple was not going to go away easy. The Owls offense would score nine unanswered points in less than a minute to cut the Tiger lead to 57-44 with under four minutes left in the game. But Memphis’ lead would hold out for the final minutes of the game as they claimed the 64-53 win.
Three Tiger players reached double-figure scoring today; Madison Griggs led the team with 14 points while Emani Jefferson and Hannah Riddick both added in 12. Riddick picked up her third double-double of the season with a game-high 11 rebounds.
As a team, Memphis shot 34% from the field and recorded six blocks during today’s game.
