For 20 minutes Saturday night, the Tigers looked like a team that hadn’t played in a week. Facing the 1-6 Jaspers, Memphis players missed their first six shots from the field, allowed six three pointers (on 20 attempts) defensively, and trailed by two (38-36) at halftime.
“We stepped up defensively” after halftime, said Tiger guard Avery Woodson following the game. Indeed, the Tigers surged over the second half’s first 14 minutes, outscoring Manhattan 34-8 to take a decisive 70-46 lead. Markel Crawford “played like an All-American” after “stinking” in the first half according to Memphis coach Josh Pastner. The sophomore from Melrose helped contain Jasper guard Rich Williams while scoring a career-high 16 points himself.
Tiger sixth man Trahson Burrell returned after missing the Tigers’ last game with a hip pointer. He scored 13 points (all but three after halftime), grabbed eight rebounds, and handed out three assists in 21 minutes off the bench. “It was a little painful,” he acknowledged, “but I can play through it.” Burrell has scored at least 10 points in five of the seven games he’s played this season.
Freshman forward Dedric Lawson led Memphis in scoring with 21 points (10 of 16 from the field) and pulled down eight rebounds. Senior Shaq Goodwin added 13 points and eight rebounds, though he struggled from the foul line, missing seven of 12 free throws.
The Tigers held Manhattan to 19-percent shooting (4 for 21) after halftime and forced 15 turnovers. The win is the fourth straight for Memphis (6-2), one shy of the team’s longest streak of the 2014-15 season.
“I was disappointed in our first half,” said Pastner. “We stunk. The zone saved us, but then they started hitting some threes. Second half, Ricky Tarrant played like an All-American defender. Avery Woodson made some big-time fifty-fifty plays. K.J. Lawson did some good things; he just got in foul trouble. We guarded in the second half like we’re supposed to for 40 minutes. We just did it for 20.”
Is there a trend, these poor starts against weak competition? “When people play Memphis, it’s their Super Bowl,” emphasized Pastner. “With all the parity, it’s about energy, about defense, playing hard. We didn’t do that the first half. I put that on the upperclassmen, and that starting lineup. Only guy who has a little excuse is Dedric, and he should be a senior in high school.”
The Tigers will play the second of four games in 11 days Tuesday night when Southern visits FedExForum.