MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Interstat) — Daejah Richmond scored 23 points and Tamya Smith added 18 as the Memphis women’s basketball team held off a late Florida Atlantic rally for a 74-66 victory in an American Athletic Conference game Wednesday night at FedExForum.

The Tigers, who led by as many as 16 points in the fourth quarter, saw their advantage shrink to just four in the final minute before securing the win at the free-throw line. The victory improved Memphis to 7-9 overall, while Florida Atlantic fell to 6-9.

Richmond, a guard from Cordova, Tennessee, was the catalyst throughout, adding four assists and four steals in 38 minutes of action. Her performance was a season-high in scoring, surpassing her previous best of nine points. Smith, a 6-foot-2 forward from Pleasant Grove, Alabama, provided consistent interior scoring, hitting 8 of her 15 field goal attempts.

The game’s most critical sequence came late in the third quarter and extended into the fourth, as Memphis built what appeared to be an insurmountable cushion. After Florida Atlantic’s Erin Rodgers hit a jumper at the third-quarter buzzer to cut the deficit to 50-42, the Tigers opened the final period with a decisive 11-2 run.

Chaé Harris, who finished with 13 points for Memphis, sparked the surge with a steal and layup, followed by a driving score from Richmond. A Paris Gaines layup off a Richmond assist pushed the lead to 56-44 with just over nine minutes remaining, and a Brooklynn Charlo three-pointer minutes later extended the advantage to 61-48, matching the largest of the game to that point.

Florida Atlantic, however, refused to capitulate. The Owls, who shot just 40.3% from the field and 21.7% from three-point range, found a rhythm in the final six minutes. A 12-3 run, fueled by five points from Madi Gewirtz and a three-pointer from Erin Rodgers, brought the visitors within 67-63 with 1:24 left on the clock.

Memphis responded at the foul line. After Richmond split a pair of free throws, Tamya Smith converted a crucial offensive rebound into a putback layup for a 70-65 lead with 1:17 remaining. Florida Atlantic’s Grace Carstensen answered with a layup, but Richmond calmly sank two more free throws on the ensuing possession to restore a five-point edge at 72-67 with 29 seconds left. The Tigers sealed the game by making four of their final six free-throw attempts in the closing seconds.

The Owls were led by Erin Rodgers, who scored 17 points, and Madi Gewirtz, who added 14 points and two blocks. Vivian Onugha contributed eight points, nine rebounds, and three steals for Florida Atlantic.

Statistically, the game was a sloppy affair, with the teams combining for 43 turnovers. Memphis capitalized on Florida Atlantic’s 23 giveaways, scoring 24 points off turnovers compared to the Owls’ 17. The Tigers also dominated on the offensive glass, grabbing 12 rebounds to Florida Atlantic’s six, leading to a 15-7 edge in second-chance points.

Memphis set the tone early, leading 20-19 after a back-and-forth first quarter and extending the margin to 35-33 by halftime. A strong third quarter, where they outscored the Owls 15-8, gave the Tigers the separation they would ultimately need to survive the late push.

Both teams return to conference play on Saturday. Memphis will host South Florida, while Florida Atlantic travels to face UAB.