Dec. 29, 1999
MEMPHIS, TENN. - The Lady Tiger Basketball team improved to 6-5 on the year with an impressive 77-57 victory over Alabama. The win was the second straight victory over a Southeastern Conference opponent.
The Lady Tigers look like a completely different team from the one that stepped on the court just over three weeks ago. After recording losses to Mississippi State and Old Dominion by a combined total of 78 points just under a month ago, the Lady Tigers have reeled off three straight wins, two of which were over SEC foes. Memphis came from behind to defeat Arkansas, 88-82, just before the Christmas break.
"I was very happy about the way that everybody stepped up at different points in the game," said coach Joye Lee-McNelis. "Different players were effective at different times and that really conveys the "team" effort that we have been trying to accomplish this season. You can see by our assist total tonight that we are truly a team that works together. I thought we did a great job of getting into the flow and shifting the momentum at crucial times in the second half."
The Lady Tigers led most of the first half, and led by as many as eight points before Alabama shifted the game and enjoyed its first lead of the game at 13-12 with 11:41 left in the first half. The lead changed hands several times for the next five minutes, but Alabama did not lead by more than two points at any point during the half, and Memphis went to the lockerroom at the half with a 35-30 lead.
The Lady Tigers came out on fire in the second half and the Crimson Tide fizzled, though they bettered their first half shooting of 27.6 percent to 30.0 percent in the second half. The Lady Tigers shot 40.0 percent in the first half and 46.7 percent in the second half while outscoring Alabama, 42-27, in the latter half. Memphis went on a 31-4 tear in the middle of the second half to enjoy their biggest lead of the game, 26 points, with just over three minutes left to play. The Crimson Tide went almost 10 minutes, from 15:54 to 6:05, without a single basket, and several Lady Tigers took advantage of the drought. In that 10 minutes, Tiffany Collins scored eight points, Patrice Boys scored seven points, Tiffany Adkins scored five points and both Lauren Jackson and Shannon Hamp added single baskets.
For the second straight game, freshman Shannon Hamp led the Lady Tigers in scoring with a career-high 19 points off a 6-of-10 shooting effort from the field. She was a perfect 7-of-7 from the charity stripe, and also recorded three rebounds, 1 blocked shot and two steals.
Also in double digits for the Lady Tigers were juniors Tiffany Collins and Tiffany Adkins with 15 points and 10 points, respectively. Adkins also pulled down seven boards and forced two steals in just her second game of the season on the hardwood. She was ineligible until the Arkansas game on Dec. 19 after transferring from Ole Miss. Collins also recorded six rebounds, four assists, one blocked shot and three steals in 30 minutes of action.
Sophomore Melissa Abraham led the way in rebounding with eight boards and senior Yolanda Reed led in assists with six. The Lady Tigers combined with 23 assists for the 26 field goals scored. Memphis outrebounded the Crimson Tide, 44-43, and both squads shot better than 70-percent from the free-throw line.
Starters Taquilla Allen and Boo Barnes led the Crimson Tide's effort in scoring with 14 points and 10 points, respectively. Barnes also led the way in rebounding, pulling down eight boards. Joni Crenshaw blocked a game-high four shots in 22 minutes of action.
The Lady Tigers will open Conference USA play this weekend when they travel to Birmingham, Ala., to take on UAB on Jan. 2. Game time is set for 2 p.m. Memphis will have three straight road games before returning to the Elma Roane Fieldhouse for a 7 p.m. meeting with South Florida on Jan. 13.
