MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Playing in their final regular season game, the Memphis Tigers women’s basketball team welcomed the Green Wave of Tulane University to the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. The Tigers would pick up their seventh consecutive win as they claimed the 55-44 victory.
Following tonight’s game, Memphis finishes the regular season at 19-9 overall and 11-4 in American Athletic Conference play. Today’s win marks the most wins in a season since the 2011-12 season and the team has locked in the 2-seed, the highest finish in the American in program history, for the AAC Championship beginning next week in Fort Worth, Texas.
After back and forth scoring to open the game, the Tigers would get back-to-back three-pointers from Destyne Jackson and Madison Griggs to end the quarter and take a 16-10 lead.
Memphis would extend their lead out to as much as 10 in the second frame following lay-ups from Hannah Riddick and Emani Jefferson. But, the cushion was short-lived as Tulane made their run.
The Green Wave would hold Memphis scoreless for nearly three minutes and get as close as three to the Tigers.
Memphis would try to pull away from the Green Wave before the end of the half; free throws from Riddick and a lay-up from Jamirah Shutes would put Memphis up seven with 50 seconds left. Tulane would add in consecutive free throws to make it a 28-23 Tiger lead at the break.
The Memphis offense would explode in the third quarter, opening the half with a 7-0 run that was capped off with two free throws from Shutes. While the Green Wave continued to try and catch Memphis, the Tigers had an answer for everything Tulane threw at them.
Baskets from Destiny Thomas and Tanyuel Welch in the final minute of the quarter would put Memphis up 43-35 heading into the last 10 minutes of the game.
Memphis opened up shop in the fourth quarter, pushing their lead out to as much as 14 after Shutes drained a short jumper with 2:07 left to play. While Tulane held the Tigers scoreless in the final minutes of the game, the Memphis defense locked down to hold on for the 55-44 win.
Jamirah Shutes led the team with 14 points, 12 of which came in the second half, while Madison Griggs added in 13 points. Destiny Thomas, Emani Jefferson, Destyne Jackson and Hannah Riddick all finished with six points each while Riddick and Thomas led all players with eight rebounds apiece.
As a team, Memphis shot 37% from the field, outrebounded the Green Wave 45-28 and forced Tulane into 15 turnovers while holding them to just nine points in the final quarter of play.
(2) Memphis will play the winner of (7) Tulsa/ (10) UCF in the Quarterfinal Round of the American Athletic Conference Championship on Tuesday, March 7 at 6 p.m. CT in Dickies Arena.
