The Saint Louis University women’s basketball team suffered
another loss, after falling to the University of Memphis last
Friday night at the Bauman-Eberhardt center. Memphis’ junior Raven
Rogers hit a jumper with 54.3 seconds left on the clock to help
push the Lady Tigers to 65-64 over SLU.

Rogers was fouled on the shot and hit the bonus to give Memphis
the 66-64 lead.

Memphis went on to win the game 69-65.

Before the game the seniors were honored with flowers and a
picture, since this was their last home game.

Throughout the first half both teams shot almost equally, with
the Bills shooting 36.7 percent and the Tigers shooting 36.4
percent.

The Tigers had the lead at the half, 31-27, due to one
three-point shot and one free throw more than the Bills.

The Tigers came out strong in the second half and held onto the
lead for most of the second half.

With just under eight minutes in the game, the Tigers were up
54-48 before the Bills started their comeback. Lakrisha Brown
powered through the defense for a layup, followed by snatching an
offensive rebound and putting it back up for another two points.
That basket brought SLU to withing four points of the Tigers with
just over six minutes to go.

However, Memphis’ Victoria Crawford scored, putting the Tigers
back up by six. The Bills responded with six straight points of
their own, though, starting with a layup from Brown, followed by a
steal and a lay-up, again from Brown, and to finish it up, Brown
had another offensive rebound and the follow-up bucket to tie the
game, 56-56.

But try as they might, the Billikens were not able to maintain
the momentum and they let Memphis got into a groove as the Tigers
went up by five with 2:36 remaining, after Crawford hit two
straight shots. SLU once again was able to answer when Angie Lewis
banked in a shot and Yanique Javois sank both of her free
throws.

Brown stole the ball but was quickly fouled. She calmly sank
both of her free throws, giving the Bills their first lead of the
second half, 65-64, with just over one minute left in the game. But
just as it happened all night long, the game teeter-tottered back
into Memphis’ favor.

Rogers scored her basket and free throw to take back the lead
that the Bills could not get back.

Memphis’ Latrice Booker picked up a foul and sent Brown to the
line, with 34 seconds left in the game. Brown was able to nail the
first shot but she missed the follow-up and Crawford pulled in the
rebound, shot the outlet pass out of the paint ,and Lewis was
forced to foul the Tigers’ Tamika Butler.

Butler hit the first of her two shots as Memphis led, 67-65,
with 27 seconds left to play. However, after missing the second,
the Billikens were left with a glimmer of hope, and they quickly
moved the ball up the floor, only to have their hopes dashed one
final time, by Butler, who picked up a huge steal with 5.6 seconds
remaining, and was sent to the line as Brown fouled out of the
game.

Butler sealed the win, hitting both of her shots from the
free-throw line for the 69-65 victory.

The Bills’ final regular season game is at Memphis this Friday,
Feb. 27. To earn a chance to go the Conference USA tournament, the
Bills must win the game on Friday.