During the six days after their last loss, the Memphis Tigers held meetings as a unit and one-on-one with head coach Penny Hardaway. While dividends showed early against Murray State, the Tigers came up short, again.
Ahead 40-26 at halftime, Memphis (5-4) was unable to sustain its first-half execution and fell 74-72 to the Racers (8-1) at FedExForum on Friday night. Hardaway took responsibility for the Tigers’ fourth straight loss after a 5-0 start had vaulted them into the Top 10.
“Bad coaching, this game is squarely on me,” Hardaway said, adding that, “I did not do anything right. I let me guys down. We lost a game we needed to win. It is on me. I just have to get better.”
Tyler Harris, inserted into the starting lineup for the first time since rejoining Memphis after transferring to Iowa State, had a different view.
“I feel like every game coach puts in a game plan. He had us ready for everything. It is up to us to go out there and do it. None of our losses are on him. He went over every scenario,” said Harris.
“We just weren’t disciplined. We go over the coverages and we get out and don’t do the game plan. All of our losses have been on us, not him.”
The first 20 minutes were just what the doctor ordered for the reeling Tigers. Down by five points with 9:15 left in the first half, the Tigers’ pressure defense enabled them to make a 23-4 run and take a 14-point lead into halftime.
With the Racers shooting only 29 percent (4-14) from three-point range and committing 12 turnovers, the Tigers seemingly had a victory in hand. The Racers used the halftime break to make adjustments that got them back into the game. They surged ahead (53-52) for the first time at the 11:05 mark and never trailed again.
“We had some scared turnovers in the first half,” said Murray State head coach Matt McMahon. “We passed up some open shots. I would rather get a shot than turn the ball over.
“I thought we executed better in the second half. Our defense was better. We did not plan to play the game with four guards and it really worked out well for us.”
With the outcome up for grabs late, Memphis had two opportunities to recapture the lead. Alex Lomax hit on a three-point basket with 21 seconds left, pulling the Tigers within two points (72-70). He stole the ensuing inbound pass but missed on a three-pointer that would have given Memphis the lead.
With two seconds left and after a made basket by Harris, Tigers nearly forced a turnover near midcourt.
Calling the last seven minutes of the first half “pretty good,” Hardaway said the Tigers “came out and got lax” in the second half.
“We took some bad shots and (weren’t) playing defense. They scored on four plays in a row, plays we knew were coming. We thought the game was over and they caught a rhythm,” he said.
“When you let a team like that get their confidence up … I saw it coming. That is why I put in guys that have won before.”
Hardaway said it seems like the Tigers are “playing so tight right now. We are not having fun. It seems like the pressure of the world is on us. No stops and bad shots. I am not taking anything away from Murray State.”
The Racers connected on 14 shots beyond the arc. Tevin Brown made 6 of 12 three-pointers and scored 22 points. Justice Hill connected on 5 of 6 three-pointers and finished with 20 points. Memphis only made eight three-pointers.
Harris led the Tigers in scoring with 15 points. Center Jalen Duren had a bounce-back game with 14 points, five rebounds, and a block. He has had a block in every game this season.
The road doesn’t get any easier for Memphis. The Tigers will host the No. 10-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide on Tuesday at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
“We have to figure a way to beat Alabama and get a winning streak,” said Hardaway. “This is a low point for me except for my knee surgeries. …
“I just got to keep coaching. Four (lost) games in a row; you have said every speech and everything that needs to be said. As a leader, I have to keep pushing in the right direction. …
“I have never been here before, but I will figure it out.”
Quoting him: Tyler Harris
“I am thankful to be out on the court. If I get five minutes or 25 minutes, I am going to be happy. … I felt good being back in the starting lineup. I am in my senior year and have started before. I wasn’t looking at it like a dream come true, but it felt good.”
GALLERY
