Southern Miss
Memphis
Lady Eagle Basketball Team Downs Memphis, 73-50
2/17/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 17, 2006
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HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Four Lady Eagles score in double figures in Southern Miss' 73-50 defeat of Memphis.
With the win, Southern Miss improves to 11-13 (8-5 C-USA) and a positions themselves into a four-way tie into second place in the division, while Memphis drops to 3-21 (1-12 C-USA).
Amber Eugene led all scorers with a game-high 19 points, followed by Kendra Reed with 18, Liz Biland with 13 and Kristin Chaney with a season-high 10. Biland led the team in rebounds with nine.
Tamika Butler led the Tigers with 13 points, while Ashley Howard led all rebounders with 10 total boards.
"Kendra Reed and Amber Eugene were phenomenal tonight," Head Coach Joye Lee-McNelis said. "Kendra scored five shots in a row, putting this team on her shoulders tonight. She and Amber were able to take control of the game and get things going for us."
Though Southern Miss led early in the game, 7-2, both teams struggled shooting the ball (Memphis - 11 percent, Southern Miss 27 percent) through the 14:20 mark. Southern Miss finally got on track, hitting seven shots in a row to extend their lead, 24-18 with 6:34 remaining in the first half. The Lady Eagles would add 12 points to their total, capped off by a three point bucket at the buzzer by Chaney, to send both teams into the locker rooms with Southern Miss leading, 36-24.
"Both teams came out with great game plans, wanting this game," McNelis said. "We both struggled with shooting early, as the game went back and forth. But we were finally able to pick the tempo up and build a lead."
Reed led off the second half, scoring the team's first nine points of the half highlighted by two three point shots. Southern Miss would cruise the rest of the half, as Memphis would get no closer than eight points to the Lady Eagle lead, which would expand as high as 24 points. With Memphis unable to muster the comeback, Southern Miss finished their dominance of the Tigers with a 73-50 victory.
"This is the first game where we were able to put our teeth into a team, and were able to put them away," McNelis said. "They closed the gap to 10 at one point in the game, but we went right back out to put the clamps back on them. This is a sign that this team is beginning to mature. I'm very pleased in how this team handled themselves tonight."
The Lady Eagles return to the court on Sunday, Feb. 19, for the team's final home game of the season. Tip off is set for 2 p.m. at Reed Green Coliseum.
