In the Quarterfinal Round of the American Conference Championship, the 2nd-seeded Memphis Tigers defeated the 7th-seeded UCF Knights 81-76.
The game started off fast-paced with both teams getting off quick shots and possessions to set the tempo for an important game.
Both teams started out hot before Memphis would go on a big run and carried the momentum into the end of the first half.
The Tigers were hounding the Knights on the defensive end forcing them into 12 first-half turnovers, thanks to some great full-court defense. The Tigers turned them into 11 fastbreak points.
Memphis capitalized on the UCF mistakes which allowed the Tigers to keep the pace fast. They forced UCF guard Darius Johnson to commit 6 turnovers as Kendric Davis and Alex Lomax held him in check.
UCF would not go away despite the mistakes as offensive rebounds and second-chance points kept them within reach. Anytime Memphis went on a run, the Knights would put on a stretch of good possessions to keep the deficit narrow.
Going into halftime, Memphis went into the locker room with a 40-30 lead as they shot 53 percent from the field.
Kendric Davis and DeAndre Williams would combine for 30 of the Tigers first-half points as Davis had 12 and Williams had 18.
Coming out of halftime, The Tigers started off cold with inefficient shooting and turnovers that sparked a UCF 17-7 run to tie the game at 47.
The Tigers and Knights would trade baskets on each end as Kendric Davis and DeAndre Williams would take over the game.
Davis and Williams would score the next 38 second-half points for Memphis, forcing UCF to become scrambled defensively.
Things got intense for both sides as time wined down with Jayden Hardaway getting a steal and committing a turnover seconds later. Kendric Davis would get a key block and timeout to settle things down.
With under a minute left, DeAndre Williams and Chandler Lawson would hit free throws to seal the game and end the Knights’ season.
The performance by Davis and Williams was historic as they became the 4th duo in NCAA history to both score 30 plus points.
The Tigers will continue their run through the American Athletic Conference tomorrow as they will face the winner of Wichita State/Tulane in the Semifinal Round.
The game will take place at 4 P.M. CT on ESPN2.
