March 2, 2003

Final Stats

MEMPHIS, TENN. - A career-high 26 points from sophomore guard Victoria Crawford (Birmingham, Ala./Woodlawn) helped The University of Memphis women's basketball team (13-14, 6-8 C-USA) to an 87-72 win over Louisville (14-13, 5-9 C-USA) in both teams' regular season finales, Sunday.

The two teams battled and the score was close throughout the first half, with Memphis heading into the break up 34-30, despite being out-rebounded 29-17 in the opening 20 minutes. Louisville grabbed 11 offensive rebounds in the opening half. Neither team was very effective from the field in the early going, with Louisville hitting 27.3 percent, while Memphis hit 35.7 percent from the floor. The Lady Tigers also struggled from the line in the early going, converting just 13-of-21 from the free-throw line.

The Lady Tiger defense stepped it up in the second half, forcing Louisville to commit 23 turnovers for the game compared to just 12 from the Lady Tigers.

With Memphis' post players in foul trouble, it was up to Crawford and freshman Tamika Butler to score from the outside. Butler chipped in 16 points off the bench, including two treys, including one that tied the game at 50 apiece, setting the way for Princess Swilley's bucket at the 11:22 mark to put Memphis up 52-51. Louisville would battle and cut the lead to one at the 7:04 mark when Lori Nero hit two of her 15 points, but Memphis stretched the lead to double digits by the 5:17 mark and never looked back.

The Lady Tiger seniors finished their regular season careers with a win that earned the Lady Tigers the eighth seed for the Conference USA Women's Basketball Tournament that will begin in Memphis, Thursday. Senior Shannon Hamp struggled, converting just one of 12 field goal attempts and finishing with five points and six rebounds. Senior point guard Kalara McFadyen scored three points with two assists and two steals in 20 minutes of play, while senior Rita Beckwith scored a season-high nine points with three rebounds and a steal in nine minutes of play. Junior Kaneshi Hart, who will not return to the team next year in order to attend graduate school, finished with six points, six rebounds and two steals.

Nord led the Lady Cardinals with 19 points, while Nero chipped in 15 and Nina Simotes added 11. Kim Graham fell just one rebound and one point shy of a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds in the loss.

Louisville also advanced to the post-season, despite the loss, and will face Saint Louis at 3 p.m., Thursday in first round action at The Pyramid. The Billikens knocked off league co-leader Cincinnati, Sunday, to help Charlotte win their first C-USA women's regular season title since 1990.