Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Memphis
Memphis Downs Women's Basketball, 62-53
2/25/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 25, 2010
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Brittany Carter and Ramses Lonlack each scored a game-high 17 points as the University of Memphis downed the Marshall University women's basketball team, 62-53, in Conference USA action Thursday evening at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse.
Memphis (17-10, 10-4 C-USA) made a game-changing 11-0 run midway through the second half, which proved to be too much for the Thundering Herd (14-13, 6-8 C-USA) to overcome.
Thursday's contest began as a low scoring affair. Marshall hit one of its first two shots in the first five minutes while turning the ball over seven times. Memphis crashed the offensive glass, grabbing five boards on the offensive end over that span, but made just one of their first 11 shots. A jumper by Veronica Ruiz ended a four-minute scoring drought, giving MU a 4-2 edge with 14:25 remaining in the period.
The offenses got rolling after that as MU hit ten of its next 14 shots while leading for the majority of the half. Memphis also shot better, hitting eight of its next 15 attempts. The Herd would lead by as many as seven points in the stanza, 29-22, before taking a four-point lead, 29-25, at the half.
Despite shooting 63.1% in the half, Marshall led by just four at the break, due in part to 13 turnovers.
Most of its damage in the half came in the paint as 24 of its 29 tallies came in that territory. Memphis shot 35.7% in the half as Alex Winchell connected on a pair of treys while leading the Tigers with nine points in the period. Kendra King led all players with 11 in the opening period.
Memphis scored the first five points in the second half to grab a 30-29 lead with 17:19 left in the game. Brittany Carter scored the final three points of the run, which gave the Tigers their first lead since a bucket after the opening tip gave them a 2-0 lead. A three-pointer by Handy saw Marshall retake the lead at 32-30.
The teams exchanged the lead six times over the first eight minutes of the second period. Handy kept the Herd in the game with a pair of treys while Carter hit three-consecutive buckets for the Tigers.
With 10:47 remaining, the Tigers took their largest lead of the game to that point as Ramses Lonlack hit a shot to put Memphis up 45-42. The Herd quickly responded as Raechele Gray knocked down a three 23 seconds later.
Over the next four minutes, the Tigers took control of the game, reeling off eleven-straight with five coming from Winchell.
A free throw by Angelica Harris ended a five-minute scoring drought for Marshall. Harris struck again, sinking a pair of treys as part of a 7-0 run, which reduced the Memphis lead to six, 59-53, with 2:44 remaining. That would be as close as the Herd would get as Memphis would hit late shots to come away with the nine-point victory.
Marshall scored 24 points in the paint in the first half, but tallied just two in the paint in the second half as the Herd was unable to find a hole in Memphis 2-3 zone defense, limiting its options in the paint and forcing it to settle for outside shots.
Kendra King led Marshall with 11 points, all coming in the first half. Chantelle Handy tallied ten points before fouling out with just over a minute remaining. Tynikki Crook fell just short of a double-double, tallying nine points and 10 boards.
Four Tigers finished in double figures led by 17 points from Carter and Lonlack.
The Herd finished with a slight 37-36 edge on the boards but committed 22 turnovers while the Tigers had 15. In the opening half, Marshall shot 63.6%, but the Memphis defense clamped down in the second period, holding the Herd to just 7-of-30 (.233) shooting in the second.
After falling to Marshall in its first nine meetings, Memphis has now won two-straight over the Herd.
Marshall continues its road trip on Saturday, traveling to Birmingham, Ala. to face UAB. The Herd and Blazers will square off at 7 p.m. ET at Bartow Arena. Marshall dropped UAB, 85-84, in double overtime in the first meeting of the season in Huntington.
