Jan. 27, 2008

Complete Box Score in PDF Format

Box Score

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - - The University of Memphis Lady Tiger (5-14, 2-4 C-USA) basketball team suffered a 72-66 loss to UAB (9-10, 5-1 C-USA) in FedExForum after giving up a 27-2 run from the 14:36 mark until the 6:28 mark in the second half.

"We just stopped playing team defense," Head Coach Blair Savage-Lansden said. "In the first half, our rotation was good and we were talking on defense. But when UAB started to get out in transition and converting baskets, we got frustrated with one another and UAB is too experienced a club to do that with and they took advantage of that."

Memphis used team defense in the first half to hold UAB to 22.2 percent from the field, but was getting out-worked on the boards 27-19 in the opening 20 minutes. The rebounding edge would really become a problem in the second half, as UAB held Memphis to just six offensive rebounds on the night, while outworking Memphis down low, 49-32 off the glass.

"This game really came down to rebounding," Savage said. "We just have to learn to be consistent. The last three games, we did the little things and we made something happen for ourselves. We didn't do that tonight, we had opportunities to make something happen and we let our frustration dictate our effort."

Memphis managed to hold C-USA leading scorer Diamond Rogers to just eight points in the opening 20 minutes, but Rogers would add 14 more in the second half, including back-to-back layups while posting up the Memphis guards in the paint to cut the Memphis lead to 44-43 after the Lady Tigers led 33-22 at the break. From there, the Lady Tiger's defensive struggles bled over in to their offensive game as Britney Jones stole a ball from Latoya Bullard and took it coast-to-coast for a 45-44 UAB lead, their first of the game. Memphis responded with turnovers on four straight trips, and when Amanda Peterson nailed a three from the wing and Britney Jones followed with a three of her own from deep in the wing, UAB had stretched the lead to 51-44 with 8:59 to play. Memphis would respond to the back-to-back threes with three straight turnovers on the offensive end, including an offensive charge call on Jessica Hall, and UAB kept hustling up the court and converting lay-ups, helping the Blazers shoot 54.5 percent in the second stanza.

But the Lady Tigers battled back. Aroha Jennings hit a jumper with 6:07 to play, snapping a nearly seven-minute scoreless drought for Memphis. Paris Leonard then crashed the glass for one of Memphis' six offensive rebounds, starting a 9-0 Memphis run that cut the deficit to single digits a 61-52 with 3:51 to play. Jessica Hall broke loose for a three from the wing to cut the deficit to six at 61-55, but Memphis' defense got caught in transition as Britney Jones broke lose, snapping the Lady Tiger scoring. But on the other end Latoya Bullard drew a foul, as Amanda Peterson bulled through a Memphis screen, and Bullard hit both free-throws to pull the deficit back to six. Center Amanda Scott then fired a three on the UAB end, which was rebounded by Hall pushed it up the court and fed Leonard for three, cutting the UAB lead to 63-60 and forcing Audra Smith to call time-out.

But Smith sent the league's leading scorer back to work, using a Diamond Rogers post-up of the Lady Tigers' point guard, as Rogers spun left and stuck in a bucket with 1:17 to play, at 65-60. On the other end, Jessica Hall drove around the perimeter, hitting a contested three, and pulling Memphis to 65-63 down with 53 seconds to play. Memphis kept trying to force turnovers with a full-court press, but fouled Amanda Scott, who stepped to the line and hit the first of two free-throws. On the rebound off Scott's missed free-throw, Memphis freshman Shekeira Copeland reached in to tie up the rebound, and was whistled for the foul, sending Rogers to the line. Rogers hit both free-throws, and then rebounded a Latoya Bullard missed three to draw two more free-throw attempts, which she sunk, for a 70-63 UAB lead. Paris Leonard would pop loose and would hit a three to cut the deficit to four at 70-66 with nine seconds remaining, but Memphis ran out of time, falling 72-66.

"You have to give UAB credit. They came together and rallied and we got frustrated for a period there in the second half," Savage said. "We came down and took quick shots and managed just six offensive rebounds." Senior Aroha Jennings finished with her third career double-double, scoring15 points with 10 rebounds, while Leonard led Memphis with 22 points on 8-for-14 shooting. Jessica Hall finished with 13 points, and overcame first half-shooting woes to hit 5-of-13 from the floor, including 4-for-7 in the second half.

Rogers finished with 22 points for UAB, just missing a double-double with nine rebounds. Britney Jones added 12 points and four assists in 36 minutes while Amanda Peterson came off the bench to score 11 points with six rebounds in the win.

Memphis remains at home and will host Houston, a team that remains tied for second place in the C-USA standings with UAB, Friday, at 7 p.m. back in the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. UAB will return home and will host Rice, Friday, at 7 p.m.