Memphis Tigers keep doing their best to navigate through chaotic 2020-2021 season
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (BVM) – COVID-19 has had a significant impact on all levels of basketball. From college to the pros, games have been getting postponed left and right with no real clarity as to what comes next.
Even in the chaos, the Memphis Tigers women’s basketball team (4-7, 2-4 American Athletic Conference) have done their best to find reasons for optimism. Through the first three months of the season, the Tigers have had six games to this point that have either been cancelled or postponed. In fact, the time has had two long layoffs, one of 11 days and the other ten days (one that they are currently on).
Tigers’ head coach Melissa McFerrin has seen the effects of an irregular schedule on her team’s chemistry. However, she said that she plans to use this upcoming break as a means to create more unity within her team.
“We have to treat next week like a little bit of a minicamp,” McFerrin said. “That may or may not excite them, but it is going to be the last chance that we have to get some of the players back that we haven’t had. We haven’t had our whole team together much this year, so this is the last chance we have.”
In addition to battling with COVID-19, the Tigers have also had multiple players who have battled injuries this season. The Tigers leading scorer from last season, guard Jamirah Shutes, has missed all season after suffering a knee injury last season. Of the 11 players who have been able to suit up, only five players have played in each of the team’s 11 games. Those five players are all in the starting lineup and only one is averaging less than 30 minutes a contest.
While the season has been strenuous for the starters, this is not to say that they are not getting help from their bench.
Freshman guard Coriah Beck has played in 10 games this season and is beginning to see a steady increase in her minutes and role. So far this season, she has averaged 6.9 points, 1.2 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game. In their last game against Tulsa, Beck had a career-game where she scored 16 points, five rebounds and two steals. Her development has been a positive for the team and McFerrin acknowledged that after the game Beck will continue to be a key figure throughout the rest of the season.
“Coriah’s getting better and better,” McFerrin said. “We like Coriah early on in the season because she has really good defensive fundamentals. Coriah has earned her minutes.”
The jury is still out on when their team will all be medically cleared to play more minutes, but the Tigers are determined to get things turned around during this impromptu time off to prepare for their rough final stretch.
