Rowser scores 26 as Tigers beat UCF
Junior guard hits 5 3-pointers
U OF M WOMEN 69, UCF 52
ORLANDO, Fla. — Redshirt junior Mooriah Rowser scored a career-high 26 points and hit a careerbest five 3-pointers to lift the University of Memphis women’s basketball team to a 69-52 American Athletic Conference victory over UCF on Wednesday night.
“She (Rowser) was hot from the opening tip, and she didn’t get a rest until near the end of the third quarter,” said Tigers head coach Melissa McFerrin. “She was keeping us alive. Our players do a great job of sharing the basketball. We couldn’t buy a basket early. Today was Mooriah’s day.”
Sen ior Ariel Hea r n added 10 points and nine assists, and Brea Elmore tied her career high with 12 points for the Tigers (14 -10, 8-5). The eight league wins are the most in a season for the Tigers since they joined the AAC in July 2013.
Rowser shot 10 of 16, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range, and made 1 of 2 free throws. Brianna Wright grabbed 12 rebounds to lead Memphis.
Tolulope Omokore led the Knights (5 -19, 2-1 1) with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Zykira Lewis, UCF’s leading scorer, had nine points.
Memphis shot only 39.7 percent from the field, but the Tigers’ defense smothered the Knights. Memphis held UCF to 30.6-percent shooting from the field and 9.1 percent from the arc (1 of 11). The Tigers forced 16 turnovers.
“It was a methodical ga me,” McFerrin sa id. “Our pressure early was effective to some degree. Later on, we decided to go straight man with a few surprises, and we got more solid defensively.
“I didn’t think our defense was that great, but I look at the scoreboard and see we only gave up 52 points. It’s hard to be too upset about that.”
Memphis started strong in the second half, using a 9-4 run to open a 40-27 lead. Rowser had seven points on two jumpers and a 3-pointer.
The Tigers led 48-35 heading into the fourth quarter, and put the game out of reach early with an 8-2 run to extend the lead to 56-37.
The Tigers continue their two-game trip Saturday in Greenville, North Carolina, when they play East Carolina at 4 p.m. CST.