It’s been some time since Memphis could claim a “big win” over the East Carolina Pirates, but the Tigers earned one Saturday afternoon at FedExForum. After coughing up a nine-point halftime lead, the Tigers responded with some clutch shooting over the game’s final five minutes to earn their second straight win and improve to 12-6 for the season. Sophomore guard Lester Quinones drained a three-pointer from the left corner with 26 seconds to play that gave the Tigers a five-point lead (64-59) and secured the victory.
Memphis Athletics / Joe Murphy
DeAndre Williams
The Pirates started slowly and found themselves down 11 (21-10) merely 12 minutes into the game. But three days after upsetting the 5th-ranked Houston Cougars, ECU found a groove and, thanks to a pair of 9-0 runs, led the game (54-53) with fewer than four minutes to play.
After Landers Nolley hit a free throw to tie the score, D.J. Jeffries connected on a runner from the left baseline to give Memphis a 56-54 lead. Jeffries also contributed a dunk and three free throws to the Tigers’ late-game surge. Alex Lomax dropped in a floater in traffic to make the score 58-54, Memphis, with 2:15 to play.
Jayden Gardner scored the Pirates’ final five points of the game and finished with a game-high 23. But the Tiger defense forced a pair of misfires from long range to seal the win. Memphis is now 8-3 in the American Athletic Conference while ECU falls to 8-7 overall and 2-7 in league play.
The Tigers hit seven of their first 11 three-point attempts, but only one of their next 11. Nolley and Jeffries led Memphis with 12 points each while Lomax stuffed the stat box with 10 points, nine assists, five rebounds, and five steals. The Tigers shot 38 percent from the field while the Pirates hit 43 percent of their shots. (ECU was one for 13 from three-point range.)
Next up for Memphis will be Cincinnati. The Bearcats (4-7) visit FedExForum Thursday night to complete a four-game home stand for the Tigers. The Tigers will then travel to Houston for a Valentine’s Day meeting with the AAC’s top team.
