The University of Memphis men’s basketball team was unable to take care of the basketball as the Tigers dropped their season opener 71-56 to No. 11 Wichita State Tuesday afternoon.
The Tigers were unable to effectively move the ball offensively throughout the contest, turning the ball over 24 times and dishing out only four assists. In 34 games last season, Memphis never once turned the ball over that many times or recorded so few assists.
The result was an ineffective Tiger offense that shot only 40 percent from the field, and finished with more turnovers than made field goals. The giveaways also allowed Wichita State more looks at the basket, as the Shockers put up 12 more field goal attempts than Memphis.
Junior forward Shaq Goodwin put the Tigers on the board first with a short-range jumper, but Wichita State answered with a quick 6-2 run. Memphis hung around throughout a sloppy first half that featured poor shooting from both sides, and the Tigers trailed at the halftime break 29-22 after the Shockers rattled off six consecutive points before the break.
Wichita State’s offense came alive in the second half, and took advantage of Memphis turnovers to quickly bury the Tigers.
Sophomore forward Nick King led Memphis in both scoring and rebounding with 16 points and seven boards. Sophomores Austin Nichols and Avery Woodson chipped in 10 points apiece. Nichols also made an impact defensively, blocking six shots and changing several others. Junior guard Ron Baker led Wichita State with 21 points.
Apart from Woodson’s 10 points, the Tigers struggled to get any production from their backcourt. Vanderbilt transfer Kedren Johnson and newcomer Pookie Powell combined for zero points, zero assists and eight turnovers.
Despite the all of the offensive struggles, the defense was a bright spot for Memphis. The Tigers held Wichita State to just 40 percent shooting from the field and 24 percent from beyond the arc. Memphis also narrowly won the battle on the glass, out-rebounding the Shockers 40-38 with nine blocked shots.
Memphis is now off to a 0-1 start to the season, and the loss to Wichita State comes after the Tigers dropped its exhibition game to Christian Brothers 74-70 in overtime. The exhibition loss was Memphis’ first since 1996.
The Tigers have a chance to pick up their first victory of the season November 24 when they return home to face the Prairie View Panthers. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at FedExForum.
