Tigers Women's Basketball Defeats Big Ten Foe Illinois

Saturday, December 19

Memphis, Tenn.

2 pm CT

University of Memphis

6-5

Illinois

7-2

Illinois

Memphis

Photo by: Matthew Smith

Tigers Women's Basketball Defeats Big Ten Foe Illinois

Dec 19, 2015 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Hearn leads the way with 29 points; Rowser adds 16 points.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Happy early birthday, Tigers head coach Melissa McFerrin!

Her University of Memphis squad gave her quite possibly the best present, an 81-75 non-conference victory over Big Ten Conference foe Illinois at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse Saturday. McFerrin celebrates her actual birthday Sunday, Dec. 20.

The win gives Memphis a 6-5 record heading into American Athletic Conference play after the Christmas break. The Tigers return to action Dec. 30 with their league opener at Temple. With the loss, Illinois falls to 7-2.

Tigers senior Ariel Hearn led the charge with a terrific all-around performance of 29 points, seven rebounds, six assists, two blocked shots and five steals. The 29 points were one shy of her career high (30 versus USF last season). In addition to her season-high 29 points, Hearn tied season bests for rebounds, assists, blocks and steals. Her five steals and two blocked shots also tied career bests.

With her 29 points, Hearn moved into the top-10 on the Tigers all-time scoring chart. She sits in the No. 10 spot with 1,664 career points. Her six assists against Illinois give Hearn 352 for her career and place her in the No. 8 spot on the Memphis all-time assists chart. Hearn now is the only player in Tigers history with 1,500 points and 350 assists for a career.

Mooriah Rowser added 16 points, and Brianna Wright (12 points) and Cheyenne Creighton (11) also netted double figures for Memphis. Asianna Fuqua-Bey led the Tigers with eight rebounds and tied a career high with four steals. She also handed out four assists. Fuqua-Bey's eight boards give her 681 for her career, leaving her just outside the top-10 on the Tigers all-time rebounding list (No. 10 is LaTonya Johnson with 686).

Illinois' Chatrice White led all scorers with 28 points and added 12 boards for her fifth double-double of the season. Cierra Rice was the Fighting Illini's only other double-figure scorer with 13 points.

Memphis held a narrow 42-41 advantage at the break, but Illinois used an 11-7 run to open the third period to take a 52-49 lead with 5:12 left. White netted six points in the run.

The Tigers, though, answered with a spurt that not only closed the third quarter but also extended into the opening minutes of the final period. Overall, the Tigers' run was 15-1 that covered 6:27 and turned a 52-49 deficit into a 64-53 lead with 8:45 remaining in the fourth quarter. Creighton (free throw, layup) and Fuqua-Bey (two free throws) got the run started, and then Hearn scored eight of the final 10 points in the spurt, including two three-pointers.

The Fighting Illini used a small spurt to cut the Memphis lead to single digits in the final period, but did not get closer than four points at the :07 mark of regulation. The Tigers hit 6-of-8 free throws in the final 39 seconds to seal the victory.

In the opening period, both teams were hot, with both hitting over 50 percent from the field and three-point line. The first quarter was a back-and-forth affair with five lead changes and four ties. The largest lead was six points held by Memphis at 13-7. In the quarter, the Tigers shot 53.3 percent from the floor and 66.7 percent from the arc. Illinois hit 61.5 percent from the field and 83.3 percent from the arc in the first quarter.

Although Memphis led most of the second quarter, the score remained tight throughout with four lead changes and one tie. Both squads continued to shoot well from the field. Memphis headed into halftime hitting 53.1 percent, while the Fighting Illini was at 53.6 percent.

For the game, Memphis out-rebounded Illinois 35-28. The Tigers defense had 15 steals and forced 21 Illinois' turnovers.

The Tigers ended the contest shooting 45.8 percent from the floor, 40 percent from the arc and 80.8 percent from the charity stripe. The Fighting Illini hit 44.4 percent from the field, 46.2 percent from the arc and 70 percent from the free throw line.