The Commercial Appeal

Tigers top Ball State in WNIT

- Evan Barnes

For 51⁄2 minutes Monday, Memphis women’s basketball could do no wrong. Jamirah Shutes’ first 3-point attempt went in, as did Emani Jefferson’s first shot and Madison Griggs’ first 3-point attempt.

The Tigers’ shots kept falling as the crowd at Elma

Roane Fieldhouse roared in joy and disbelief. Ball State fed the crowd even more by missing shots as Memphis scored the game’s first 20 points.

Even when Ball

State settled down and rallied, the Tigers wouldn’t let up. With another near sell-out crowd that included men’s basketball coach Penny Hardaway, the Tigers led wireto-wire for a 79-62 second round victory in the WNIT.

Here are three takeaways as the Tigers reached the WNIT’S Super 16 for the first time since 1999.

Twenty-point cushion

The Tigers (22-10) opened the game 4-for-5 on 3-pointers and Shelbee Brown’s putback layup completed the 20-0 start to the game. Shutes and Griggs combined for 12 points during the stretch.

Ball State (26-9), which entered the game 40th nationally in 3-point shooting, missed its first eight attempts from beyond the arc. The Cardinals also didn’t get many secondchan­ce points with the Tigers grabbing 14 rebounds in the first quarter.

Memphis shot just under 53% from the field (9-17) in the period compared to Ball State’s shooting just 3-for-16.

Ball State battles back

Ball State didn’t wilt, however. Thanks to six 3-pointers in the second quarter, the Cardinals outscored Memphis 22-11 in the period and closed the half on a deep, bank-shot 3-pointer by Hana Muhl at the buzzer.

Memphis led 39-32 at halftime

and the lead dropped to four in the third quarter at 46-42. But the Tigers went on a 10-2 run capped by Shutes' three-point play and another 3-pointer by Griggs. Shutes scored seven points in the period and Griggs added five to keep Memphis ahead 60-53 after three quarters.

Timely baskets

Each time Ball State got close, Memphis responded. The Tigers' lead was cut to 62-55 in the fourth quarter before Destiny Thomas made a tough layup that started a 10-0 run with Shutes on the bench.

Shutes returned with 3:24 left and hit another 3-pointer to push the lead to 17.

It gave the senior her second consecutiv­e 20-point game of the tournament as she finished with 23 points. Jefferson added 15 points and Griggs had 11 points.

“There was never a time when I felt like this group of basketball players did not want to win and that's why their season is still going,” coach Katrina Merriweath­er said.

Thomas and Hannah Riddick each had eight rebounds as the Tigers, who entered Monday eighth nationally in rebounds per game, outrebound­ed Ball State 44-20.

Next up

Memphis travels to face Bowling Green on Thursday at 5 p.m. in the WNIT Super 16.

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