The men’s basketball team continued its lengthy home court schedule with a comfortable 94-76 win against former Conference USA rivals, the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers, in the Saturday midday matchup. Tyler Harris was the leading scorer with 24 points and added five assists and drew a notable 7 fouls to go 10-11 from the free throw line.
“Overall I had a total group effort,” Penny Hardaway said. “I’m very excited about the direction we’re headed.”
This was the 49th all time meeting between Memphis and UAB, and 43 of those were as conference foes. Memphis looked for revenge after last year’s embarrassing 71-56 loss which broke its 16-game win streak against the Blazers that started in the 98-99 season. Memphis also held all UAB players to at or less than a zero plus/minus rating in the game. The worst was a -24 for guard Jeremiah Bell.
The rainy Memphis weather drifted into FedEx Forum as the first half was dominated by three pointers by both teams. Memphis and UAB both went 8-12 and shooting 66.7 percent from the three-point line in the half. Memphis got off to a strong first minute of the game with an off balance three pointer from Harris and a got a charge right after which led to an Alex Lomax clean three. Lomax ended the game with eight points and three rebounds in 27 minutes of action.
UAB stayed right on the Tigers heels to tie the game 10-10 early on, but the Tigers surged to a 22-13 in the middle of the first period, and ended with a Tigers 10-point lead, 49-39. The Tigers haven’t scored these many points in the first half since playing Yale when they had 47. Harris led the first half with nine points and four assists with all points coming from the three-point line.
The second half started slow for Memphis as they scored only six points in the first seven minutes of the game. The three-point line wasn’t friendly for Memphis in the second half as they shot 3-12 and 25 percent from the arc.
“You either live by the [three] or die from it,” Harris said. “We were still shooting the same shots, but they just weren’t falling for us in the second half.”
UAB within to a four-point deficit, 63-59 with 10:49 left in the second. Although, Memphis overcame a UAB comeback and gained control of the game to finish with a solid win. Davenport was a major part of solidifying the Tiger victory by scoring 13 points in the second and ended the game with 21 points shooting 80 percent on the field and eight rebounds.
“I was hot at the time,” Davenport said. It was really the leadership by [Jeremiah Martin] that really helped me keep going.”
He had a standing ovation by the fans as he was sent off with less than three minutes left in the game.
Memphis now has a week-long break until they face No. 7 ranked Tennessee next Saturday in Memphis. The game is nearly sold out as the Tigers renew an old rivalry with the SEC foe. Hardaway is excited for the renewing of rivalries and future potential matchups with likes of Louisville, Tennessee, Ole Miss, UAB and others.
“I think that’s a beautiful thing because it gives the siblings, family members and friends the bragging rights for the year,” Hardaway said. “I’m really going to enjoy those rivalries.”
Tip-off is set early Saturday morning at 11 a.m. at the FedEx Forum.
Tyler Harris makes his defensive presence known against a South Dakota State player. He earned two steals on the night.
