PJ Haggerty and Dain Dainja combined for 45 points to lead Memphis to an 84-72 victory over UAB in the championship game of the American Athletic Conference Tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sunday, March 16.
“Giving all glory to God,” said Tigers coach Penny Hardaway. “This is a wonderful season we are having right now. We are a praying team. These young men work hard. They have given me all that they have had all season.”
The win also secures an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for Memphis. On Sunday, the Tigers were selected as the No. 5 seed in the West Region Bracket in Seattle. They will face the winner of the Mountain West Conference Tournament, Colorado State, in the first round.
“We can’t take the season for granted at all. It’s going to be a fight regardless, so we can’t look at this game as just an easy game. Every game’s going to be hard,” said Dainja.
The victory also marks a turnaround from last season, which included an early exit from the tournament.
“Through the storm, that was a huge storm last year, you know, losing this game, the first round at the tournament, my mother having throat cancer, and just really going through it,” reflected Hardaway. “To be here now, happy, winning a regular season and the conference championship, man, I feel blessed and grateful for this situation.”
Haggerty led all scorers with 23 points, along with seven rebounds. The AAC Player of the Year was also named the Tournament MVP after the victory. Both Haggerty and Dainja were named to the all-tournament team.
Memphis grabbed its first lead on a Mousse Cisse tip-in shot with 6:45 left in the second half. The second-chance opportunity sparked a 15-3 run that chewed up almost four minutes of the game clock. The Tigers held a 78-64 lead with 3:17 remaining when Baraka Okojie sank 1 of 2 from the line to cap the run.
An Efram Johnson 3-pointer followed by a Bradley Ezewiro free throw reduced the Blazers’ deficit to 79-70. A Dainja layup extended the Tigers’ lead to 84-70 with 48 seconds left. Blazers forward Yaxel Lendeborg scored a layup with 26 seconds remaining for the final score.
The Tigers led across all statistical categories. Memphis shot 32 of 68 from the field for 47.1%. They also hit 6 of 13 from deep, for a 46.2% rate. Meanwhile, UAB shot 24 of 69 for 34.8% from the field. The Blazers connected on 7 of 27 from deep for 25.9%.
Memphis overcame a 35-32 first-half deficit when Dainja tied the game on a layup with 16:25 left in the second half. Alabama-Birmingham’s interior defense offered little resistance to the 6-foot-9 senior’s post moves and drives to the basket throughout the game.
Dainja shot 8 of 12 from the field, finishing with 22 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks.
Haggerty grabbed the lead on the Tigers’ next possession with a layup of his own. Memphis would maintain the lead for the remainder of the game. The sophomore transfer from Tulsa scored 17 of his 23 points in the second half. He averages 21.8 points per game this season, the third-best in NCAA Division I basketball. He is also considered an All-American team candidate.
Colby Rogers added 15 points on 5 of 12 shooting, including 3 of 6 from deep.
Only two Blazers reached double figures in scoring. Lendeborg led UAB with 19 points and 17 rebounds for a double-double. The 6-foot-9 senior forward is considered a prospect for the 2025 NBA Draft. Junior guard Efram Johnson came off the bench to chip in 17 points on 5 of 10 shooting from the field. He also hit 3 of 5 from deep.
Alabama-Birmingham won the AAC Tournament last year.
