The 10th-ranked Tigers took it on the chin this afternoon in the quarterfinals of the Maui Invitational, falling to 17th-ranked Michigan. The U of M took a 27-25 lead behind three straight field goals by Charles Carmouche in the first half, but was outscored 12-4 over the last six minutes and trailed 37-31 at the break. (The Tigers missed 11 of 13 shots from three-point range over the game’s first 20 minutes and finished the game 4-for-21 from the arc.)
The Wolverines stretched the lead to 14 points in the second half, as the Tigers continued to struggle from the field (33 percent for the game). After being outrebounded in their opener against Belmont (42-29), Memphis lost the battle of the boards today, 33-20. Starting center Tarik Black picked up two early fouls (as he did against Belmont) and saw his playing time limited.
Will Barton and Joe Jackson combined to shoot 2-for-12 in the first half and 6-for-23 for the game. Charles Carmouche led the Tigers with 14 points and was the only Memphis player in double figures. Tim Hardaway Jr. paced the Wolverines with 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. Michigan shot 54 percent from the field.
Now 1-1, Memphis will face the loser of today’s Duke-Tennessee game on Tuesday at 1 p.m. (central time). Michigan will face the winner in the semifinals.
