Duane Erwin kept to himself before the game. Quiet, focused and intent, Erwin unleashed himself once the game began and had one of his most memorable performances in the senior's final home game.
Erwin turned in a gritty 10 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Tigers over Vanderbilt 81-68 in the quarterfinals of the NIT Wednesday night before a crowd of 9,770 inside FedExForum.
So what was bouncing off the walls in Erwin's head before tipoff? "Dominate," he said. "I was going to go after every rebound.
"I was going to put my body on the line and out-jump them and that's what I did for most of the night."
With the win, Memphis heads to New York for its third NIT Final Four in the last five years. The Tigers will meet St. Joseph's next Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. The Hawks beat the Aggies 58-51, Wednesday night.
Memphis forward Rodney Carney led all scorers with 26 points. Darius Washington totaled 23 points and seven assists.
The Tigers have won six of their last seven games.
Memphis frustrated the Commodores on the defensive end, creating 12 turnovers and coming up with defensive stops at crucial points. Vanderbilt shot 39 percent for the game and just 32 percent form beyond the arc. Memphis was 24 of 49 from the field and 5 of 12 from three-point range.
The celebration in the Tigers' locker room was tempered after the team learned the extent of guard Jeremy Hunt's knee.
Hunt's left knee appeared to buckle after he landed awkwardly under the basket. Hunt tried to play with the injury, but pulled up just moments after returning to the game.
Hunt is awaiting an MRI, but coach John Calipari said a team doctor had all but confirmed a tear in the guard's left knee.
"We think it's an ACL," Calipari said.
"This kid has really done some things and now he's out again."
Memphis is 6-1 since Hunt replaced Carney in the starting lineup before the start of the Conference USA Tournament.
Vanderbilt was led by Shan Foster's 25 points.
Memphis took advantage of the physical style of the Commodores by driving to the basket and drawing fouls.
The Tigers made 28 of 33 free throws. Vanderbilt got to the line just 14 times, converting on nine attempts.
Related Stories:
- View a slide show of last night's game
- Tiger basketball pulls together for tournament wins in C-USA and NIT
