Saturday, January 23
Memphis, Tenn.
1:00 pm
Tulsa
at
Memphis
Tulsa vs Memphis Preview
1/21/2021 4:15:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Game Notes: Tulsa
Radio: TU's games can be heard on 93.5 FM The Jet, KWTU 88.7 FM HD2 and free on the iHeart Radio App. Brandon Hart calls play-by-play.
Live Audio: Listen Here
Live Video: The Tulsa-Memphis game will be broadcast on ESPN+. TU fans can subscribe to ESPN+ to watch Golden Hurricane basketball, soccer, softball and volleyball this year. ESPN+ is offered at $5.99/month or $49.99/year. To subscribe, go to plus.espn.com. Fans will be able to access ESPN+ content only after they have subscribed.
Live Stats: Click Here
Rosters: Tulsa ~ Memphis
Tulsa Facebook: TulsaHurricane ~ TulsaWBasketball
Tulsa Twitter: TulsaHurricane ~ TUWBasketball
Tulsa Instagram: TulsaHurricaneAthletics ~ TulsaWBB
The Coaches
Tulsa: Matilda Mossman (Western Kentucky, 1979), 10th Year
Career Record: 264-259 (18 years)
Record at Tulsa: 117-166 (10 years)
Memphis: Melissa McFerrin (Missouri, 1983), 13th Year
Record: 242-266 (17 years)
Record at Memphis: 192-196 (13 years)
Tulsa's Probable Starters
G 10 Maya Mayberry, 5-8, Jr., Tulsa, Okla., 14.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg
G 12 Wyvette Mayberry, 5-7, Fr., Tulsa, Okla., 11.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg
F 13 Jessika Evans, 6-0, Fr., Norman, Okla., 4.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg
G 21 Rebecca Lescay, 5-8, Sr., Plano, Texas, 6.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg
F 32 Desiree Lewis, 5-10, Jr., Converse, Texas, 6.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg
Memphis' Probable Starters
G 2 Madison Griggs, 5-9, So., Memphis, Tenn., 8.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg
G 3 Jatyjia Jones, 5-10, Jr., Pontotoc, Miss., 8.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg
G 5 Aerial Wilson, 5-10, So., Dundas, Ontario, 5.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg
F 32 Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu, 6-4, Sr., Nkongsamba, Cameron, 15.4 ppg
F 33 Alana Davis, 6-2, Sr., Augusta, Ga., 12.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg
Facing Memphis
- This is the 23rd time that Tulsa and Memphis will meet on the women's basketball court
- The series is tied, 11-11, after TU picked up a 72-68 win on January 9 at home
- Memphis has a 3-7 overall record, including a 1-4 mark in American Athletic Conference play, but snapped a five-game losing streak with a 61-52 win over Cincinnati on Wednesday
- Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu and Alana Davis both average double-digit points for the Tigers, with 15.4 and 12.4 points per game, respectively.
- Fankam Mendjiadeu also has a team-best 11.3 rebounds per game, Aerial Wilson has 69 assists, Lanetta Williams and Fankam Mendjiadeu both have 10 blocks, and Madison Griggs has 16 steals.
In the Last Game
- Tulsa used a strong fourth quarter to claim a 68-54 win over East Carolina
- Freshman Jessika Evans had a career night with her first double-double of 11 points and 14 rebounds, while junior Desiree Lewis also turned in a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
- Maya Mayberry led the scoring with 21 points as the junior converted on 8-of-11 from the field and 5-of-7 from three-point range for her third 20+ scoring game in the last four contests.
- Tulsa outscored the Pirates 21-9 in the fourth quarter to expand a 2-point end of third quarter lead to a 14-point victory, the largest of the season for the Hurricane. Tulsa connected on 46-percent of its field goals in the final stanza, while holding ECU to just 13-percent from the field in the final 10 minutes.
Wyvette Mayberry Named The American Freshman of the Week Twice
- Wyvette Mayberry was named the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Week on December 14 and January 11
- This was TU's first Freshman of the Week honor since the 2016-17 season when Kendrian Elliott, Alexis Gaulden and Shug Dickson each earned the honor twice.
In the Nation
- Tulsa ranks...
- 30 in steals per game (10.6)
- 34 in turnover margin (4.67)
- 52 in turnovers per game (13.8)
- 71 in fewest turnovers (124)
- 80 in turnovers forced (18.44)
- 92 in steals (95)
- 99 in fewest fouls (150)
- Rebecca Lescay ranks...
- 111 in steals per game (2.22)
- 148 in steals (20)
- Maya Mayberry ranks...
- 44 in 3-point FGs per game (2.67)
- 44 in 3-point FG percentage (43.6)
- 98 in 3-point FGs made (24)
- 212 in points per game (14.9)
- 250 in field goal percentage (41.1)
- Wyvette Mayberry ranks...
- 78 in steals per game (2.33)
- 123 in steals (21)
- 147 in 3-point FGs attempted (60)
- 245 in 3-point FGs per game (1.78)
- NOTE: Above NCAA Rankings include games through 1/20/21.
An Accurate Shot
- Maya Mayberry ranks first (.436 = 24-55) in program history for three-point field goal percentage, while Desiree Lewis ranks third (.400 = 4-10), and Destiny Johnson ranks 10th (.364 = 4-11).
- Jessika Evans ranks fifth (.846 = 11-13) in program history for free throw percentage
She's Stealing!
- Rebecca Lescay moved into ninth place on Tulsa's all-time steals list with 161 in her career
A College Graduate
- Tulsa senior Rebecca Lescay earned her bachelor's degree in marketing in 2020 and is now working towards her master's degree in business analytics
Maddie Bittle
- According to a recent NCAA Division I women's basketball survey, Maddie Bittle is just one of 18 Native Americans playing collegiate basketball at the D1 level. Bittle is a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation.
The Mayberry Connection
- Sisters Maya and Wyvette Mayberry are both in their first seasons at Tulsa, and are coached by their older sister, Taleya, who also played at Tulsa (2009-13) and joined the coaching ranks prior to the 2018-19 campaign
- Maya is a junior who transferred from Oral Roberts, while Wyvette is a freshman from local Booker T. Washington High School.
- The sisters are Tulsa's top two scorers as Maya averages a team-high 14.9 points and Wyvette is scoring at an 11.9 clip.
- The pair is scoring 47.9 percent (241 of 435) of Tulsa's total points.
- Wyvette leads Tulsa in assists (29) and steals (21)
Pretty Even Through Three
- Through the first three quarters of games this season, Tulsa and the opposition has played fairly close through the first 30 minutes.
- The Hurricane is averaging 43.66 points (393) and the opposition 44.66 (402) points through the first three quarters of play.
- Tulsa has shot .371 percent (147-396) from the field, .354 from 3-point range (51-144) and .705 from the free throw line (48-68).
- The opposition shoots .389 from the field (153-393), .290 from 3-point range (34-117) and .659 from the charity stripe (62-94).
Tulsa's Turnover-Takeaway Story
- Tulsa has been among the nation's leaders for turnover margin this season with a +4.7 margin after nine games.
- The Hurricane has forced 18.4 turnovers per game (166), while suffering only 13.8 turnovers (124) of their own.
- Tulsa has forced three opponents into 20+ turnovers, including UCF (23), Temple (23) and Memphis (26).
- Tulsa's season-high of 22 turnovers came against ECU in the last game
- The Hurricane averages 10.6 steals per game (95) while the opposition has averaged just 6.8 takeaways (67) against Tulsa.
Mossman Has 265 Career Wins
- Matilda Mossman has collected 265 career victories
- She had 67 wins at Arkansas and 80 wins at Kansas State, and currently has 118 wins at TU
- Mossman has the most wins by a TU women's basketball coach
On the Roster
- TU returns eight letterwinners from last season, as well as junior-transfer Madi Washington who had to sit out last year due to NCAA transfer rules. Tulsa added five newcomers to the roster, including two junior-transfers and three true freshmen.
- TU has one senior, Rebecca Lescay, eight juniors, two sophomores and three freshmen on the roster
Destiny Johnson Hit her Stride in February Last Season
- Destiny Johnson hit her stride in the last two months of the 2019-20
- She averaged 2.1 points per game leading up to the Memphis game (2-1-20), and then averaged 10.3 ppg in February and March
- Johnson tallied eight points against both Memphis and Cincinnati, 10 points against both Wichita State and Tulane, 15 points against UCF, 16 points against SMU, and 23 points against Houston.
- Johnson also had one steal in the first three months of the season, and had 12 in the final nine games; and similarly had 12 of her 13 assists in the final nine games of the year.
Back-to-Back-to-Back
- Desiree Lewis had back-to-back-to-back double-doubles during the 2018-19 season, making her the fifth player in school history to reach this milestone
- Lewis is just the third to accomplish this as a freshman
- Lewis hit back-to-back-to-back double-doubles against Wichita State (12p, 10r), Memphis (10p, 12r) and ECU (16p, 13r)
- This feat has been accomplished just 16 times in school history, including Kendrian Elliott who reached this milestone during the 2019-20 campaign
Tulsa Picked 11th in The American Preseason Coaches' Poll
- In the American Athletic Conference coaches' poll, Tulsa was picked to finish 11th by the league's coaches
- The 2020-21 predicted order of finish is USF, UCF, Tulane, Cincinnati, Temple, Wichita State, Houston, Memphis, ECU, SMU and Tulsa
Tulsa in The American Championship
- Tulsa has a 4-6 mark in The American Championship
- TU earned wins in the first round in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019
- The Golden Hurricane lost matches in the quarterfinals in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, and lost in the first round in 2020
Tulsa in Postseason
- Tulsa has made five postseason appearances
- TU earned WNIT bids in 2004, 2005 and 2015
- The Hurricane played in the NCAA Tournament in 2006 and 2013
- Tulsa lost in the first round in 2004 (Memphis), 2005 (Texas A&M) and 2013 (Stanford), but went 1-1 (W, North Carolina State; L, DePaul) in 2006 and 2015 (W, Missouri State; L, Eastern Michigan)
- The Hurricane has a 2-5 overall mark in postseason play
A Hurricane in Tulsa?
- The Origination of The University of Tulsa nickname - Golden Hurricane - was created in 1922. A new football coach, Howard Archer came to town and inherited a slew of nicknames dating back to 1895. In the past, Tulsa had been named "Kendallites," "Presbyterians," "Tigers," "Orange and Black," "Tulsans," and of course, "Yellow Jackets." The team started working out in the fall with a new nickname "Yellow Jackets" which was apparently due to the fact that the team was wearing new black and yellow uniforms. The team opened the season and it was apparent that Tulsa was going to have a great year, and trying to seize some publicity for his team, Archer wanted to find a new nickname quickly. After a remark was made in practice one day about "roaring through opponents," and because of their new jersey colors, he thought of "Golden Tornadoes." But a check showed that Georgia Tech already had chosen that tag in 1917. From the tornado, he evolved meteorologically to the hurricane. A few days before the team left for a game against Texas A&M, Archer asked the squad to vote on the name, and thus "Golden Hurricane" was born.
Players Mentioned
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