By the numbers: Memphis women’s basketball is turning things around

The Memphis women’s basketball team has been on a roller coaster ride of a season. They won their first two games, but they are now at 8-10 overall. Additionally, they have a 5-5 record at home and are 2-5 on the road. They have won three games in a row and defeated South Florida 47-40 on Jan. 23. While the Tigers have some areas of concern, there are also bright spots within the team’s performance.

Areas of concern

One area the Tigers should focus on improving immediately is playing smart basketball. The Tigers have an average of 19.7 turnovers per game while their opponent averages 15.9 per game. That is high for any basketball team, but taking care of the basketball is extremely important because that creates fast-breaks for the opposing team. The opposing team averages nearly 20 points per game off of the Tigers turnovers.

Another area of concern for the Tigers is their three-point shooting. They have not done well shooting the ball this season, averaging just 25.4 percent from downtown. Over their two-game winning streak, they combine for 8-27 from three, which is 29 percent. Even though that’s a four-percent-increase, it’s still not good shooting.

Bright spot

While the Tigers have things to work on, they are also doing great in other aspects, such as their rebounding. The Tigers average 42 rebounds per game, which is near the top of the conference. Their opponents average 37 rebounds per game. Rebounding is one of the few keys to win a basketball game, and out-rebounding your opponent is crucial. The Tigers have two games this season with 50 rebound games, with both games being split.

Another bright spot is the cooperation between teammates. During their two-game win streak, the Tigers have combined 32 assists to their opponents 18. That is a great stat because sharing the ball around is important to finding the open shot. 

Overall

The Memphis women’s basketball team are sitting in the middle to bottom of the American at 3-2 in conference play and 8-10 on the season. They have to find ways to fix the areas of concern and add them to the bright spots. The turnover woes must be the first concern to start because giving their opponents extra possessions is not what you want. The shooting can be improved if they are keeping the ball moving and finding the open shot.

Memphis defeating the Bulls is good for the team going forward as they conitnue to turn things around. Memphis now has a three-game winning streak, so riding that momentum is the key to continuing success.