Feb. 28, 2008

Box Score

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -

Complete Box Score in PDF Format

The University of Memphis hit seven of eight free-throws down the stretch to pick up a 64-60 win over Southern Miss in C-USA action, Thursday night. The win keeps Memphis in the hunt for a possible No. 5 seed in the C-USA championships with one game remaining in the regular season.

"What great defense we played the last 2:53 or so," Head Coach Blair Savage-Lansden said. "And we hit big free-throws down the stretch, and you have to give all that credit to our players, they really stuck in there and made it happen down the stretch."

For the second time in as many games, the Lady Tigers trailed with five minutes to play and came back to win after going 0-for-13 in that same situation earlier this season. Southern Miss led 58-51 with 5:53 remaining when Alex Winchell knocked down a three and then converted one of two free-throws to cut the deficit to three at 58-55 with 4:55 to play. Senior Aroha Jennings would then hit a jumper with her feet just inside the three-point arc to cut the deficit to one at 58-57 with 4:32 to play and Jessica Hall would draw a foul.

Hall's pair of free-throws gave Memphis the lead at 59-58, but Memphis then missed chances to pull away with a missed jumper and a missed front end of a one-and-one from Aroha Jennings. USM then trapped Memphis with a defensive rebound under the goal, forcing a Memphis timeout. Memphis came out of the timeout, then dribbled into another trap and was forced to use its last timeout with 2:02 remaining and with just a one point lead at 59-58.

On the offensive set following the timeout, Jennings lobbed a hook shot from just inside the three-point line which did not draw rim and gave the ball back to USM with 1:47 to play. Pauline Love then knocked down two of her eight points in the second half to push USM back in front 60-59 with 1:27 to play. Memphis missed a lay-up, which was rebounded by USM and the Eagles went to their end of the floor to attempt to put the game away, but a pass intended for Pauline Love bounced off her out of bounds as Paris Leonard and LaToya Bullard were pressuring both Love and point guard Andrea Barber.

"We saw the play they ran at UTEP and knew what they were working for and that Love would be the one they wanted to take that shot," Savage said. "That was great pressure defense by (Leonard) and (Bullard) to make that play happen."

USM quickly began fouling to try to get the ball back, but Aroha Jennings made up for missing the front end of her one-and-one earlier by knocking down both free-throws with 42 seconds remaining in the game. The first free-throw knotted the game at 60 and the second put Memphis in front 61-60.

Memphis' defense then turned up the heat, as Bullard stole a ball, helping the defense force five USM turnovers in the last 43 seconds of the game. For the second time in as many games, Paris Leonard stepped up her defense and drew a charge with 23 seconds remaining for one of the USM turnovers. From there, Jessica Hall stepped to the line to knock down 3-of-4 free-throws to seal Memphis' seventh conference win.

Paris Leonard would lead Memphis with 15 points and 10 rebounds, her first double-double of the season and the second of her career. Jessica Hall would finish with 13 points in her first game back since a shoulder injury at Marshall last Thursday, while Jennings finished with 12 points, including 4-for-5 from the free-throw line, and seven rebounds. Bullard added a career-high eight rebounds with five points, four assists and two steals in the win.

Love led all players with a double-double of 27 points and 13 rebounds, while Stephanie Helgeson also added a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds, adding eight blocked shots. Kendra Reed was the third Golden Eagle in double-digits with 11 points and seven assists.

Memphis will close out its 2008 home stand with a 2 p.m. game against UCF, Saturday. The game time was changed to accommodate travel plans and is different from all the printed materials (media guides, posters, and schedule cards). That game will be senior night for forward Aroha Jennings.