Memphis Women's Basketball had an early morning in Philidelphia as they took on the Temple Owls at 10:00 a.m. central time. It was a women's hoops showcase for the American Athletic Conference as they celebrated National Girls and Women in Sports Day. The Tigers weren't able to come away with the win, losing 74-66 to the home team.
This loss followed a similar pattern as a lot of the other games Memphis has been in this season: the Tigers got down big at the half, made it a winnable contest down the stretch, and just couldn't finish the job.
The thing that hurt Memphis in this game were all of the missed opportunities, especially at the charity stripe. They shot 9-16 from the line, leaving seven points on the board in a game that was decided by eight.
Despite Alex Simmons doing everything she can with the lineups and rotations, going so far as to bring Tilly Boler off the bench and have Alasia Smith play all 40 minutes of the game, nothing seems to be bringing her team much sustained success.
While the AAC title now seems like a longshot at this point, there are always positives to take away from any game. Smith, after playing for the entire game, finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, five steals, and three blocks in one of her best all-around performances this season. Tilly Boler dropped 27 points on 4-6 shooting from three in her role of the bench and DeeDee Hagemann had a very solid game with nine points, eight assists, and five steals.
The Tigers look to get back in the win column when they take on FAU at Elma Roane Fieldhouse on Feb. 8.
