Memphis Tigers new starting lineup cannot prevent old issues against Temple
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (BVM) – To close out the Memphis Tigers (4-13, 2-11 American Athletic Conference) regular season, the team agreed to a two-game series against the Temple Owls (10-10, 10-7 AAC). Originally, the teams were supposed to have games on each team’s home court, but instead the Tigers will play both games in Philadelphia.
To start off the series, the Tigers were bested 89-66.
While there has been a lot of change with the Tigers this year, one thing that had remained constant was their starting lineup. However, interim head coach Michelle Savage made the decision to end the lineup’s 16-game streak. She sat guard Madison Griggs in favor of Coriah Beck.
Beck has put together an impressive freshman season, but Savage said that that is not what factored into her decision.
“We had personal issues going on,” Savage said. “I felt that Beck was a better fit with our starting lineup today.”
Beck did not have any points in the first quarter, but she was impactful still, getting a rebound and earning two assists. She finished the game with no points, a rebound, four assists, and a block.
Her scoring struggles early were indicative of most of the team, who found themselves down 23-17 at the end of the quarter. The Tigers shot 41.2% from the field, compared to the Owls 52.9%.
In the second quarter, their struggles persisted, while Owls forward Alexa Williamson was having her way in the post. Of her 29 points, 12 came in the second quarter.
On Williamson’s big quarter, Savage said that she made the most of the opportunities given to her.
“I thought most of the time she just took advantage of our mistakes,” Savage said. “She had times when she got too deep in the paint and she was hard to stop when she got there.”
While things were starting to get out of hand, the Tigers also had an injury scare.
With less than three minutes remaining in the half, forward Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu was grimacing on the court, holding her left knee. She was able to continue playing but losing the team’s leading scorer and rebounder would have been a tremendous blow. While the team looked happy to have her playing, it did not boost their performance, which saw a drop off from the first quarter.
The Tigers found themselves facing a 17-point deficit at the half, 44-27. In addition to more inaccurate shooting (26.7% from the field), they also turned the ball over six times.
As the Owls continued to separate themselves on the scoreboard, the Tigers began to get creative in their scoring distribution.
With three minutes left in the quarter, the Tigers connected on six of their eight shots. They relied on the returning Jamirah Shutes and freshman En’Dya Buford to provide sparks off the bench.
They combined for nine of the team’s 17 third-quarter points.
Shutes led the Tigers with 18 points, showcasing just how impactful she could be, even after sustaining her knee injury. After Shutes’s big game, Savage said that she could tell she was making strides since coming back to the court.
“I think she is working her way back,” Savage said. “I think she had a really productive game. I saw her struggling a bit as the game went on, but I was pleased with her offensive performance.”
In the game’s final period, Temple made sure to leave no doubt en route to their tenth victory of the year.
Even though victory was out of reach by the fourth quarter, Memphis refused to give up and produced some of their best play in the final minutes. They hit three three-pointers, the most of any quarter, and shot a game-best 50% from the field.
While it was still a tough loss to take, the Tigers will have their chance to get revenge on Thursday, where they will face the Owls again in Philadelphia.
