Prior to Jan. 1, the last time Memphis women’s basketball had achieved a victory was against Samford University at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse.
But it’s a new year, and led by four Tigers who scored in double figures, Memphis (3-9, 1-0 AAC) dashed out to an early lead they never relinquished in a 93-83 victory over Wichita State (6-9, 0-2 AAC) in their American Athletic Conference opener.
The New Years’ Day tilt began with fireworks in the first quarter. Tiger forward Tilly Boler hitting two 3-pointers in the first period, en route to a game high 25 points. Memphis point guard DeeDee Hagemann scored 16 points to go with 12 assists. Forward Alasia Smith had a 20-10 double-double, while sharpshooter Elauna Eaton scored 18 points while nailing 5 three pointers.
“I thought we were in a really good flow,” Memphis Head Coach Alex Simmons said after the win. “That was something we have been working on in the last couple of days in practice, something we didn’t do much of in the non-conference slate.”
In all, Memphis made 10 first half three-pointers, and led 50-45 at intermission. In the third quarter, after a slow start, Tiger center Layken Cox scored six of the team’s 16 points which set the Tigers up for a high-scoring 4th quarter.
The game wasn’t as close as the final margin of 10 points made it appear — Memphis led by as much as 17 points with three minutes left in the contest.
Simmons was pleased at the overall effort of her team, but lamented giving up 83 points in the contest. She was enthusiastic about the shot-making from her squad, which nailed 45.6 percent of their shots.
“We shot 30 threes tonight, and while that’s not something I want every game, I was pleased with the looks we got and converted,” Simmons said.
Smith, who struggled with fouling in the non-conference slate, picked up two fouls during Wednesday afternoon’s contest but still managed to gain a double-double. Simmons said she emphasized to Smith that her maximum level of impact can only be reached when she’s on the court.
“She played around 26 minutes a game in the early portion of the season due to foul trouble, she knows she’s going to get a lot of playing time but it’s a matter of her staying on the court for her to put up performances like she did today,” Simmons said.
Next: The Tigers take on the University of North Texas at 2 p.m. Saturday, January 4.
