Tigers trounce hobbled Golden Eagles, 78-58
Sports Reporter
In the University of Memphis women's basketball team's annual Pink Zone game — in which the Tigers wear pink uniforms and fans are encouraged to wear pink in order to raise breast cancer awareness — the Tigers defeated the University of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles 78-58 at FedExForum in front of an announced crowd of 1,787 on Sunday afternoon. Sunday's game, which was broadcast on CBS College Sports and CSS, was the Tigers' second televised game in two weeks. On Sunday, Jan. 23, the Tigers fell at Houston, 81-68.
"Our game plan was to get the ball into the paint, and I thought we just settled for jumper after jumper after jumper," U of M coach Melissa McFerrin said. "I really thought we got on our scoring spurt once we put Jasmine Lee and Nicole Dickson in the game, and they just started hitting shots. And that's what they're supposed to do."
Dickson led all scorers with 20 points off the bench, including four three pointers, while Lee chipped in with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
The Tigers (16-6, 4-3 Conference USA) started the game on a tear, and had already doubled up the Golden Eagles (9-12, 4-4) in scoring, 20-10, with 10:42 left in the first half. Dickson was electric in the first half, coming off the bench for 13 points, including three of her four three-point baskets. Behind Dickson, the Tigers turned a tie into an 8-point lead.
The Tigers pushed their lead to 16, 42-26, by halftime.
After the break, The U of M increased the lead to 22 points, 50-28, over the shorthanded Golden Eagles, who dressed only nine players because five players were out due to various season-ending injuries.
A 10-2 Southern Miss run from 10:16 until 7:04 pulled the Golden Eagles within 11, but 24 forced turnovers by the Tigers hindered the Golden Eagles' chances of a complete comeback.
"I feel as though we're just sharing the ball more and we definitely have more scorers this year," said senior forward Taylor Mumphrey. "We are getting more comfortable with one another and playing better team ball also."
Senior guard Alex Winchell finished with a career-high 14 assists compared to just four turnovers. It was the first time a Tiger posted more than 10 assists in a game since LaToya Bullard did so against the Golden Eagles last season Feb. 12, 2010.
"I always tell my team that it is much easier to play and score points when you have multiple people putting up points," McFerrin said. "When Brittany (Carter) is scoring, Nicole (Dickson) scoring, Alex (Winchell), Jasmine (Lee) and even Ramses (Lonlack), then we can put up 70-80 points."
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