Lance Thomas became a Memphis Tiger Wednesday night in Orlando.
After sitting out the 2018-19 season following his transfer from Louisville, the sophomore forward spent 19 games trying to find traction with a role in coach Penny Hardaway’s rotation. Inserted into the starting lineup for the first time in over two months, Thomas scored a career-high 20 points and connected on two critical three-pointers in the game’s final three minutes to help Memphis beat the Knights and end a two-game losing streak. (Thomas’s previous scoring high: 11 points.)
With the win, the Tigers improved to 15-5 on the season and 4-3 in the American Athletic Conference. UCF fell to 11-9 (2-6).
Boogie Ellis returned to the starting lineup after coming off the bench for four games and contributed 13 points for Memphis. Freshman forward Precious Achiuwa missed his first four shots but finished the game with his 11th double-double of the season (18 points and 13 rebounds).
The Tigers were again prone to turnovers, yielding the ball on 17 possessions. But they shot 44 percent from the field and out-rebounded UCF, 38-27. The Tigers only got six points from reserves in the victory. Sophomores Alex Lomax and Tyler Harris saw limited minutes and did not score.
Memphis hosts its next three games over the first eight days in February, starting Saturday when Connecticut (11-9) visits FedExForum. Tip-off is scheduled for noon.
