Barely clinging to an Associated Press Top 25 ranking, Memphis short circuited conference rival Wichita State’s victory plans 61-53, by holding the visiting Shockers to four points in the final five minutes of play at the FedEx Forum on Thursday, Jan. 25.
With the win, the no. 24-ranked Tigers improve to 15-4, 5-1 American Athletic Conference. Wichita State falls to 11-8, 1-5.
Both teams had trouble executing in the first half and holding onto the ball. Along with poor shooting, numerous turnovers were committed. In all, Memphis coughed the ball up 20 times, just short of the Shockers’ 22 miscues.
After trailing most of the second half, a Tyrese Hunter three-point shot gave the Tigers a 52-51 lead with 4:29 remaining in the game. The margin would continue to grow as the minutes ticked away. Memphis finished the night with a 12-2 run.
A PJ Carter basket, followed by a Tyrese Hunter dunk and PJ Haggerty jumper with :59 seconds remaining extended the Tigers lead to 58-51. Haggerty added three points from the line to ice the game.
The sophomore guard led Memphis with 22 points on 8-11 shooting from the field. The Tigers’ leading scorer also had five rebounds, four assists and four steals for the game. Haggerty’s 22.1 per game scoring average is currently second in NCAA Division I hoops.
Carter added seven points and four rebounds in the second half, after not playing in the first period.
“I just wanted to come in and bring energy. When I come into the game I have to bring a boost,” said Carter.
In addition to hitting shots late, the Tigers clamped down defensively in the waning minutes. Wichita State only scored four points in the final 4:54. They came on a pair of Quincy Ballard free throws, bookended by a Ballard dunk with 11 seconds left to bring the deficit to within single digits.
“I am proud of the team for their play in the second half. It looks awful with the 20 turnovers and only 6 assists. We held them to 53 points. I am proud of that,” said Memphis coach Penny Hardaway.
Hunter scored 16 points and had four steals for the Tigers.
“We must keep the turnovers down. We were overpassing the ball. Without the turnovers, we would get more offensive possessions,” said Hunter.
The sloppy first half play led to a 27-23 Memphis deficit going into halftime. However, the Shockers only managed to score six points off of Memphis’ 14 first-half turnovers.
“Some of those passes were awful. The no-look passes to players who weren’t looking. The 14 turnovers and 2 assists in the first half — it was embarrassing,” lamented Hardaway.
Both teams had 11 steals on the night.
Harlon Beverly led Wichita State with 18 points on 8-14 shooting, including 2-5 from deep. The senior guard also had three takeaways. Junior forward Corey Washington scored 11 points, while Ballard added 11 to the scoring column. The senior center also had 11 rebounds to lead both teams.
Wichita State outrebounded Memphis 32-29.
The Tigers will wear throwback white Memphis State uniforms when they host Alabama-Birmingham on Sunday, Jan. 26. The “stripe-out” game tips off at noon. The teams are in a three-way tie with North Texas for first place in the AAC standings.
