Tigers Women's Basketball Falls To Tulsa Sunday

Sunday, January 10

Memphis, Tenn.

1 pm CT

University of Memphis

9-7, 3-2AAC

Tulsa

6-10, 3-2AAC

Tulsa

Memphis

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Jan 10, 2016 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Brianna Wright records 11th career double-double in the setback.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – University of Memphis' Ariel Hearn scored 18 points and Brianna Wright added 14 points and a season-high tying 11 boards, but it wasn't enough as the Tigers dropped a 65-59 American Athletic Conference decision to Tulsa at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse Sunday.

With the setback, Memphis fell to 9-7 overall and 3-2 in the league. Tulsa improved to 6-10 overall and 3-2 in the conference. For both squads, Sunday's contest was their fourth game in a week.

Mooriah Rowser scored 10 points, and Asianna Fuqua-Bey grabbed a game-best 13 rebounds. The 13 boards were one shy of tying her career best. With the 13 boards, Fuqua-Bey went over the 700-rebound milestone for her career. She now has 712 career rebounds.

Teanna Reid shared game-high scoring honors with Hearn with 18 points of her own. She also had five boards and five assists. Kelsee Grovey netted 15 points, and Tyjae' Scales grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds.

The recipe for the Tigers' success this week had been solid shooting on the offensive end and holding the foes to under 40 percent from the field and forcing 15 or more opponents' turnovers. That didn't happen Sunday for Memphis.

The Tigers shot 35.9 percent from the field and had only eight assists on 23 field goals made. On the other end, Tulsa shot just above 40 percent (40.7) from the floor and 44.4 percent from the arc. The Memphis defense also was not able to turn the Golden Hurricane over much, with Tulsa committing only 12 miscues.

Memphis grabbed a five-point lead at 57-52 on a Cheyenne Creighton layup with 5:38 left in the game, but that's when the Golden Hurricane put together a game-turnaround run. Over the next two minutes, Tulsa went on a 7-0 spurt to take a 59-57 lead with 3:39 remaining. From that point, the Golden Hurricane sealed the win from the free throw line, hitting 6-of-8 free throws in the final :36 of the game.

The Tigers started the second half with a one-point deficit at 37-36, but quickly turned that around with a 7-0 third quarter-opening run to take a 43-37 advantage. Hearn (jumper, trey) and Fuqua-Bey (layup) accounted for the points in the spurt. Tulsa fought back to within two points at 45-43 with 3:13 on the clock, but four-straight Hearn points (two FT, layup) pushed the Tigers' lead back to six at 49-43. Memphis carried a 50-48 advantage into the final period.

The first half was a tale of two quarters. Memphis grabbed the upper hand in the opening period, rushing out to an early 7-0 lead on the strength of two Wright baskets and a Hearn three-pointer. The Golden Hurricane closed to within two at 14-12 with 4:01 to play, but the Tigers responded with a 10-2 spurt to close the period. Rowser and Fuqua-Bey each netted four points in the run.

Tulsa climbed back into the contest in the second period. Memphis maintained its lead at 28-19 with 7:56 left in the quarter. The Golden Hurricane, though, went on a 15-4 spurt over the next six minutes to take their first lead of the contest at 34-32 with 2:00 on the clock. Grovey kicked off the run with a three-pointer, and Ashley Clark closed it with six-straight points (layup, four FT).

A Hearn jumper and a Creighton layup gave Memphis a 36-34 lead with :06 left. However, a Reid floating three-pointer at the halftime buzzer put Tulsa ahead 37-36 at the break.

Memphis out-rebounded the Golden Hurricane 41-35.

The Tigers return to action Wednesday, Jan. 13 when they host No. 1 and three-time defending NCAA champion Connecticut at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. Game time is 5 p.m. (CT).