Category: Tiger Blue

Quentin Grimes took over for the Houston Cougars Saturday afternoon, scoring eight straight points midway through the second half to erase a two-point (41-39) Tiger lead. The transfer from Kansas (Grimes played for the Jayhawks last season) scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half to put the Cougars (23-8) in position to win the American Athletic Conference’s regular-season championship (with a Tulsa loss Sunday). The Tigers dropped to 21-10 (10-8 in the AAC) and will receive a bye in next week’s conference tourney only if Connecticut and Wichita State both lose Sunday.

Despite missing 12 of their first 14 shots, the Tigers led at halftime (30-26) and well into the second half before Grimes found his range from long distance. Precious Achiuwa established a new record for Memphis freshmen with his 18th double-double (25 points and 14 rebounds) and moved within 11 points of becoming the 10th Tiger freshman to score 500. But he had little offensive support. Only Lester Quinones scored as many as 10 points among Achiuwa’s teammates and Memphis only got nine points from its bench.

The Tigers will likely have to reach the AAC tourney final for any consideration of an NCAA tournament berth. (The league champion receives an automatic bid.) Unless they receive a bye, the Tigers’ opening game in Fort Worth will be on Thursday.

The Tigers connected on 12 of 14 free throws in overtime to escape with a win Saturday night at Tulane. Memphis improved to 20-9 on the season and 9-7 in the American Athletic Conference, keeping hopes alive for a bye in the upcoming AAC tournament in Fort Worth.

The Tigers held what appeared to be a comfortable lead (57-49) with five minutes remaining in regulation, but scored only three more points — courtesy of a Tyler Harris trey — before the final buzzer. A goaltending call against Tiger forward Precious Achiuwa allowed the Green Wave to tie the game at 60 and force the extra session. Achiuwa had what could be considered his finest game of the season: 22 points and 22 rebounds for his 16th double-double. But the star freshman missed four free throws inside the game’s final two minutes, any one of which would have secured a Tiger victory without five extra minutes of play. He hit three of four free throws in overtime.

Boogie Ellis added 11 points for Memphis and Harris scored 12 off the bench. Christion Thompson scored 30 points for the Green Wave as Tulane dropped to 12-17 (4-13).

The Tigers could earn a top-four seed in the AAC tournament by winning their final two regular-season games. They will host Wichita State Thursday night (8 p.m.) with hopes of avenging a 76-67 loss in Kansas on January 9th. The Tigers will then finish the regular season at Houston on March 8th. Memphis evened its record away from FedExForum at 6-6 with Saturday night’s win.

The Tigers’ modest two-game winning streak came to an end Tuesday night at SMU. Despite shooting merely 34 percent from the field — typical of Memphis opponents this season — the Mustangs improved to 19-8 for the season and moved ahead of the Tigers by one game in the American Athletic Conference with a league record of 9-6. At 8-7, Memphis is now sixth in the 12-team league and 19-9 overall.

The Tigers fell behind by 12 (32-20) at halftime, but scored the first 10 points of the second half. Sloppy possessions, though, proved the Tigers’ undoing. They committed 21 turnovers, their highest total in six games. Both teams shot miserably from long distance, Memphis going five for 21 and SMU two for 21, but the Mustangs connected on 18 of 22 free throws while the Tigers made 12 of 14 from the charity stripe.

Tyson Jolly led SMU with 13 points, while Precious Achiuwa (17) and Lester Quinones (16) were the only Tigers to reach double figures in the scoring column. Memphis received a total of nine points from its bench.

The Tigers travel to New Orleans to face Tulane Saturday night. Memphis beat the Green Wave at FedExForum, 84-73, on December 30th.

Defense and free throws.

From youth leagues to Game 7 of the NBA Finals, coaches emphasize two of basketball’s decidedly unsexy elements when trying to squeeze a win out of an overmatched (on paper) team. Saturday afternoon at FedExForum, Penny Hardaway’s Tigers excelled at both to upset the 22nd-ranked Houston Cougars, leaders of the American Athletic Conference.
Larry Kuzniewski

Lester Quinones

Precious Achiuwa hit one of two free throws with 28.6 seconds remaining to give Memphis a 60-59 lead. Then with five seconds left, Cougar guard Caleb Mills missed a jump shot from 18 feet, Achiuwa’s right hand in his face. Tiger guard Alex Lomax stripped the loose rebound from the hands of a Houston player only to have it deflected out of bounds — last touched by a Cougar — with three-tenths of a second on the clock. A long inbounds pass was all that remained to secure the Tigers’ biggest win of 2020, a victory that improved the U of M record to 19-8 (8-6 in the AAC).

“I feel like, for 40 minutes, we showed who we were, and who we could be,” said Hardaway. “We only scored 60 points, but the shots we got were quality shots. We did all the tough things to win this game. I’m very proud of them.”

The Tigers only scored two field goals over the game’s final four minutes (both of them dunks by Malcolm Dandridge, who finished with a season-high 12 points). But the Tigers held Houston to a single field goal over the same stretch (a Mills bucket on his way to a game-high 21 points) and hit five of six free throws (Lomax and Lester Quinones making two each). For the game, Memphis converted 21 of 30 shots from the foul line while Houston made 9 of 12. “That’s the way it is on the road sometimes,” said Houston coach Kelvin Sampson. The Cougars fell to 21-7 (11-4).

It wasn’t pretty basketball. The Tigers didn’t score over the game’s first six minutes, but by stifling Houston shooters, they kept the score low and tied things up at 10 midway through the first half. Memphis led at halftime, 27-23, despite no player having scored as many as three field goals.

Cougar point guard Marcus Sasser scored seven points during a late Houston run that put Memphis behind, 54-51, with 3:30 left to play. And that’s when the Tiger defense rose, forcing three misses (two by Mills) in the game’s closing minutes.

“Our mindset was defense today,” emphasized Lomax. “We’ve been working so hard. I’m so glad we came together as a team, a brotherhood, for the coaches and the city. We owed them this [win].”

“It’s a confidence-booster for sure,” added Tiger guard Tyler Harris, who scored ten points and hit a pair of treys. “Going into these last few games, we’ll have a different swagger.”
Larry Kuzniewski

Penny Hardaway

How important were the Tiger free throws? Achiuwa and Quinones each missed eight of the nine shots they took from the field. But Achiuwa converted eight of his 12 free throws (to finish with 10 points) and Quinones all eight of his (to finish with 10 himself).

The Tigers committed only eight turnovers, their lowest total of the season, and held Houston to 35-percent shooting. There was, quite literally, no margin for error.

“We switched some things up [at halftime] to get into the pain more,” said Hardaway. “Credit to the guys for getting in there and making things happen. Every free throw was needed. I’m relieved. I’m glad the guys can see the other side of it. We’ve been losing some heartbreakers at the end. A lot of it self-inflicting wounds. We steadied the ship and got a win.”

As for defense becoming his team’s calling card, Hardaway considers it a welcome surprise. “It’s ironic — or weird, to be more exact — for a freshman-laden team to be one of the best defensive teams in the country,” he said. “For that to be us, right now, it feels good. Of course we’d want more points. But you’re gonna win championships and win games with defense. We’ve gotten stops in other games, but just couldn’t bring it home. To finish the game with three stops is great.”

Three of the Tigers’ last four regular-season games will be played on the road, starting Tuesday night at SMU. The Mustangs came back late to beat Memphis, 74-70, on January 25th at FedExForum.

A win is never ugly when it ends a three-game losing streak.

The Tigers witnessed the evaporation of a 16-point lead over a ten-minute stretch of the second half Wednesday night at FedExForum, but managed to prevail courtesy of two late shots by Boogie Ellis and Precious Achiuwa‘s 15th double-double of his freshman season. Memphis improved to 18-8 on the season and 7-6 in the American Athletic Conference while East Carolina dropped to 10-17 (4-10).

Larry Kuzniewski

Boogie Ellis

“It seems like once we get a lead, guys start trying things,” said Tiger coach Penny Hardaway, who notched the 40th win of his two-year career (matching Tubby’s Smith’s two seasons in Memphis). “I hope we’re learning [from games like this], and can finish stronger. But I’m very happy to get a win. It doesn’t matter if it’s by one or by thirty. Just getting a win is statement enough. It’s tough to win in this league.”

The Tigers had an unusually strong start, taking a 20-8 lead midway through the first half. Even with Pirate star Jayden Gardner held to four points, ECU managed to close the deficit to six (33-27) by the break. Back-to-back three-pointers by Ellis and Lance Thomas gave the Tigers that 16-point cushion (49-33) with just over 16 minutes left in the game, but the Pirates enjoyed a 27-11 run to tie the game at 60 with 6:20 remaining on the clock.

Gardner tied the game at 69 with a jumper at the 2:15 mark, but Ellis banked in a leaner on the Tigers’ ensuing possession. An Achiuwa layup and a pair of Thomas free throws provided enough for Memphis to earn its first win in two weeks.

“Around five minutes [to play], I reminded the guys that it’s winning time,” said Achiuwa who finished with 24 points (on 9-of-13 shooting) and 12 rebounds. “We have to figure out a way to win these games. We can’t use the same excuses this late in the season. It’s a time for freshmen to become sophomores. Everybody was desperate down the stretch.”

“I just went with the flow of the game,” said Ellis when asked about his decisive late-game field goals. Coach [Hardaway] trusts me, with the hard work I’ve been putting in at the gym.” Ellis hit four of seven three-point attempts and scored 17 points.

The Tigers missed 13 of 31 free throws, but clamped down on the defensive end, holding ECU to 20 percent (4 for 20) from long range. Tristen Newton led the Pirates with  23 points and Gardner finished with 16.

The Tigers kept turnovers to a minimum (13) and handed out 15 assists.

“We’ve had opportunities to win games, with big leads that we’ve relinquished at home,” acknowledged Hardaway. “It’s frustrating. We know when we get a lead how we got it. The coaches are saying to take the high-percentage shot, make the right pass. Guys start looking for more.” He pointed out that Achiuwa is one who emphasizes simplicity, getting a stop when needed. Despite two first-half fouls, Achiuwa played 33 minutes and was, indeed, on the floor for “winning time.”

Memphis returns to action Saturday afternoon when Houston — leader of the AAC — comes to town. The Cougars are 21-6 and 11-3 in league play.

Larry Kuzniewski

Sept. 5 — ARKANSAS STATE
Sept. 12 — at Purdue
Sept. 19 — HOUSTON *
Sept. 26 — at UTSA
Oct. 1 — at SMU *
Oct. 16 — UCF *
Oct. 24 — TEMPLE *
Oct. 31 — at Cincinnati *
Nov. 7 — USF *
Nov. 14 — at Navy *
Nov. 21 — UT MARTIN
Nov. 28 — at Tulane *
Dec. 5 — AAC Championship Game

* AAC game

The Tigers scored nine points in the final minute of their game at UConn’s XL Center Sunday afternoon. And it wasn’t enough. It’s been that kind of season.

UConn guard James Bouknight hit a jump shot and converted a three-point play on consecutive possessions to give the Huskies a 55-50 lead with just over three minutes to play. He later scored on an offensive rebound to make the score 58-52 before the Tigers’ comeback effort.

Precious Achiuwa scored six points and Tyler Harris it a three-pointer to pull the Tigers within a point (62-61) but with only 1.9 seconds left on the clock. Christian Vital hit a pair of free throws to clinch the win and extend the Tigers’ losing streak to three games. Memphis is now 17-8 on the season and an even 6-6 in American Athletic Conference competition. The Huskies improved to 14-11 (5-7) despite losing center Akok Akok to a left Achilles heel injury in the game’s first minute.

Achiuwa finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds for his 14th double-double of the season. Harris hit four three-pointers and scored 16 points off the bench for Memphis. Vital led UConn with 23 points while Bouknight added 17.

Memphis led early and took a 47-45 lead on a Harris trey with 7:40 left to play, but the Huskies answered, earning the win despite shooting 32 percent from the field. (They pulled down 16 offensive rebounds.)

The Tigers return home Wednesday when they’ll host East Carolina at FedExForum. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.

The Tigers’ diminishing chances for an NCAA tournament berth took a cruel hit Thursday night in Cincinnati. The Bearcats scored eight of the first nine points in overtime to pull away and complete a comeback victory. Memphis falls to 17-7 with the loss and is now 6-5 in the American Athletic Conference, while Cincinnati improves to 16-8 (9-3). The win avenges a loss the Bearcats suffered at FedExForum on January 16th.

The Tigers had a nine-point lead (63-54) with just over six minutes to play and led by five (68-63) with three minutes remaining. But Alex Lomax and Precious Achiuwa each missed a critical free throw and the Tigers surrendered multiple offensive rebounds, allowing Cincinnati to tie the game on a pair of Tre Scott free throws with 10 seconds left. Lomax drove for a game-winning layup as time expired but had the shot blocked from behind.

Precious Achiuwa scored 22 points (all but two in the second half) and, with 15 rebounds, posted his 13th double-double of the season. He fouled out, though, early in overtime. Boogie Ellis added 16 points and Lester Quinones 15 for Memphis.

Scott led Cincinnati with 22 points and 16 rebounds.

Now 5-4 away from FedExForum, the Tigers travel to Connecticut to face the Huskies on Sunday afternoon. They’ll return to FedExForum next Wednesday to host East Carolina.