Memphis University snapped an eight-game losing streak by pulling away from Wichita State’s women’s basketball team in the second half on Wednesday afternoon. The Tigers blitzed the Wichita State defense from deep and played a clean game to win, 93-83.
The game flipped when graduate student guard Taylor Jameson left the game two minutes into the second half with a leg injury. Jameson ended the game with a positive three plus/minus and the Shockers lost the minutes while Jameson was on the bench by 13 points.
WSU dropped to 0-2 in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) and 6-9 overall. The Shockers’ losing streak extended to three games. The game was Memphis’ AAC opener, as the Tigers improved to 3-9 on the season.
Memphis played efficient, clean basketball. The Tigers turned the ball over 10 times, a season-low for them, as WSU registered only one steal prior to garbage time.
The Tigers also bombed in 3-pointers, setting a new season-high in the first half alone by going 10-18 from deep. They went 3-12 in the second half to finish at 43% for the game.
On the other side, WSU controlled the paint, out-scoring Memphis 46-34 down low and blocking three shots. But the Shockers failed to find a shooting stroke from beyond the arc or at the free-throw line. Wichita State shot 29% from 3-point range and a dreadful 50% at 11-22 from the charity stripe. It’s the fourth time this year that WSU has failed to make more than half its free shots.
Both teams set the tone of the game early. Memphis knocked down three early 3-pointers to take an 11-8 lead. Meanwhile, the Shockers went to work in the paint, scoring six of their first eight points on layups.
Memphis led throughout the entirety of the second quarter, but never pulled away by more than seven points. Wichita State’s last lead came at the 6:30 mark in the first quarter.
The teams traded runs in the third quarter. The Tigers went cold for the first three minutes of the second half as WSU cut the lead to two points, 50-48. Then, when Jameson left the game, the Shockers lost their stroke and any momentum, not making a shot from the field for more than four minutes as Memphis expanded its lead to a game-high nine points, 57-48.
After that, it was the Tigers’ turn to miss five consecutive shots as Wichita State went on a 6-0 run to close the lead to three. However, the wheels came off for the Shockers in the fourth quarter. Memphis went on a 7-0 run to take control, 75-58, with seven minutes remaining.
Twelve Shockers received game time, all scoring at least two points. Sophomore guard Salese Blow, junior guard Princess Anderson and junior forward Maimouna Sissoko were the only WSU players to score in the double-figures.
Blow put in 11 points on an inefficient 15 shots, going 1-5 from 3-point range.
Anderson was the Shockers’ last player off the bench, coming in during the fourth quarter and scoring a quick 11 points as the announcers on the ESPN+ broadcast wondered why she didn’t play sooner.
Sissoko registered her first career double-double, setting season-bests across the board in minutes (15), points (10) and rebounds (10).
Jameson, Anderson and senior center Aicha Ndour were the only Shockers to finish with a positive plus/minus.
Wichita State will attempt to earn its first conference win on the road on Saturday, Jan. 4. The Shockers will travel to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) for a 5 p.m. tipoff.
