Tigers Women's Basketball Posts AAC Win Over Tulane Sunday

Sunday, January 3

Memphis, Tenn.

4 pm CT

University of Memphis

7-6, 1-1

Tulane

10-4, 1-1

Tulane

Memphis

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Tigers Women's Basketball Posts AAC Win Over Tulane Sunday

Jan 03, 2016 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Six Tigers score in double figures.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – What a way to ring in the new year for the University of Memphis women's basketball team!

Redshirt junior Mooriah Rowser led six Tigers in double figures to lift Memphis to an 83-67 American Athletic Conference victory over Tulane at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse Sunday. The game, the Tigers' league home opener, also was played before a national television audience on ESPNU.

Rowser netted her game-high tying 15 points of 7-of-13 shooting from the field and 1-of-2 from the arc. Asianna Fuqua-Bey and Brianna Wright each scored 13 points, and Loysha Morris tied her season high with 12 points. Ariel Hearn and Cheyenne Creighton each added 10 points in the victory.

Fuqua-Bey just missed a double-double with her game-high nine boards. She also had four assists and two steals. Rowser and Brea Elmore each had three steals, and Morris added three assists and two steals.

The Tigers got the win with solid play on both ends of the floor. Memphis shot 50.8 percent from the floor, its second-highest field goal percentage for a game this season, and had a season-low 10 turnovers. On the defensive end, the Tigers held Tulane to 39.7 percent from the field and forced 17 Green Wave miscues.

After a nip-and-tuck first quarter, Memphis gained some separation in the second period. The Tigers took a 19-18 lead into the second quarter and used an early 11-4 run to extend their advantage to 30-22 with 7:01 left. Four players scored in the Memphis run. After Tulane cut the Tigers' lead to three at 32-29, Memphis finished the quarter with a 10-2 spurt for a 42-31 halftime advantage. Wright and Creighton started the run with consecutive layups, and Breigha Wilder-Cochran and Morris each hit three-pointers to cap the spurt. Morris' trey came with :14 left on the clock and gave the Tigers momentum into the second half.

Memphis maintained its advantage throughout the third quarter, as Tulane got no closer than eight points. The Tigers had a 61-52 lead at the end of the third period.

The final quarter saw the Tigers jump on the Green Wave early. Memphis opened the fourth quarter with an 8-0 run to take a commanding 69-52 lead and put the game out of reach. Rowser kick-started the run with a three-pointer, and Memphis then hit 5-of-6 free throws to extend its advantage.

Tulane closed to within 11 points on different occasions in the fourth quarter, but did not get any closer.

Memphis shot 33.3 percent from the arc and held Tulane to 20 percent from deep. The Green Wave hit 78.3 percent from the charity stripe and held a 32-28 rebounding advantage.

The Tigers have little time to savor the victory, returning to action Tuesday, Jan. 5 when they host Houston in a 5 p.m. (CT) American Athletic Conference contest at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse.

Starting with today's game, Memphis plays four games in seven days. After today's win over Tulane, Memphis hosts Houston Tuesday, Jan. 5 and Tulsa Sunday, Jan. 10. The Tigers travel to Cincinnati Thursday, Jan. 7.