In the third game of a four-game homestand, Memphis women's basketball picked up its first win at Elma Roane Fieldhouse this season on Saturday afternoon 60-54 against the ETSU Buccaneers.
The Tigers rode a phenomenal defensive performance to get back to .500 on the season after a shaky start to the season.
“I don’t know who did our schedule,” Alex Simmons joked postgame. “Some tough games at home, but I thought our team responded. We met a couple of goals, have to be better in some areas…but I’m proud to win.”
It took a while for both teams to get going in the first quarter, both the Tigers and Buccaneers turned the ball over seven times each while making a combined five field goals. At the end of the first quarter, ETSU led just 10-4.
After a rough opening, both teams got back on track offensively, but Memphis really surged forward. The Tigers scored 22 points on 50% shooting led by Jordan Hunter, who finished the game with 12 points, and Brooklynn Charlo. A 15-4 run by the Tigers put them up 26-21 going into halftime.
"I challenged Brooklynn Charlo this week in practice to come off the bench and be ready to play," Simmons said. "She had a good two days of practice, and I think we saw that tonight."
Memphis’s started the second half hot, going on an 8-0 run to bring the lead to 34-21. On the other side of the ball, the Tigers defense held
strong holding ETSU from scoring until 5:36 left in third, where the Buccaneers made free throws after Amauri Williams got called for a technical foul.
After trading baskets with the visitors, Paris Gaines and Tamya Smith hit back-to-back shots to give the Tigers a 14-point lead, their largest of the contest. ETSU would keep hanging around in the game, however, by cashing in nine free throws in the third period and cutting the lead to 45-36 going into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Buccaneers' offense came alive, and Memphis' stalled a little bit. The visitors ripped an 8-2 run to cut the lead to three with 7:22 to play. From there, the Tigers settled in on defense, not allowing their opponents to score for over five minutes.
"Our identity is pressure, and I think we did that," Simmons said about the defense. "We always want to (force) 30 turnovers a game and when we get closer to that number, I think we've done our job."
ETSU was forced to play the foul game once it became clear that time was on the side of the home team and Smith iced Memphis' first home win of the season at the charity stripe.
The Tigers will look to build on this win on Tuesday at 7 p.m. when they face Louisiana-Lafayette at Elma Road Fieldhouse to finish their homestand. The game will also be available for streaming on ESPN+.
