It’s becoming an interesting debate: What is the Tigers’ worst loss of the season?
We have a new entry in the discussion after the U of M fell today in overtime at Tulane. The Green Wave entered the contest with a record of 9-16, just 2-9 in the American Athletic Conference. Malik Morgan banked in a three-pointer from the right wing with 45 seconds to play in overtime to give Tulane a 91-87 lead and the Tigers couldn’t score the remainder of the game. With the loss, Memphis falls to 14-11 and 5-7 in the AAC.
The Tigers had a three point lead (80-77) with 18 seconds to play in regulation before Cameron Reynolds drained a three-pointer from the left corner. The best Memphis could do before the buzzer was a desperation heave by Ricky Tarrant Jr. after an inbounds pass with two seconds on the clock. Tarrant did not play in overtime after an apparent leg injury on the final shot. In a return to the campus where he played two seasons, Tarrant finished with 19 points and four assists.
Dedric Lawson scored 25 points and pulled down 16 rebounds to earn his 11th double-double of the season for the Tigers. Shaq Goodwin scored 15 points and grabbed nine boards, but earned a silly technical foul near the end of the first half when he dangled from the rim after a breakaway dunk. (The point Tulane earned after the foul proved valuable.) Trahson Burrell scored 12 points and had 11 rebounds off the Memphis bench.
Morgan and Dylan Osetkowski led the way for the Green Wave with 23 points each. Louis Dabney scored 17 and Reynolds added 12 off the bench.
Memphis shot 43 percent for the game compared with 47 percent for the victors. The Green Wave hit 23 of 33 free throws while the Tigers were 16 for 24 from the line.
The Tigers return to FedExForum Wednesday night to host UCF. They must win four of their remaining six regular-season games to merely finish .500 in the AAC.
