Memphis completed the ACC road trip 2-0 with a 64-62 come-from-behind win Wednesday night over the Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville.
Memphis is now 9-2 on the season, with one of the best resumes in the nation, with wins over massive brands like Missouri, UConn, Michigan St., Clemson, and Virginia. They now have a nation leading 7 Quad 1 and 2 wins (the next closest is five), and have the second most quad 1 wins in the nation at 4, one win behind Auburn.
In a game where Virginia dictated the tempo and Memphis had their worst shooting performance of the season, going 5 of 23 from behind the arc, the Tigers were able to grind out a win thanks to stout second half defense and elite performances from PJ Haggerty and Dain Dainja.
Here’s how it happened:
A First Half to Forget
The first half did not go according to plan for Penny Hardaway’s Tigers, as Virginia dictated the terms, leading at halftime 30-21, and it could have been much worse.
Memphis could not get anything to fall early, going 2 of 14 from deep in the first half, and went down by as much as 11 with two minutes left in the half. The three headed monster of PJ Haggerty, Tyrese Hunter, and Colby Rogers combined for nine points on 4/17 shooting in the first half.
Hunter was not as exceptional as he was in the Clemson game, scoring 12 points on an inefficient 4/11 shooting performance, and Rogers had a terrible shooting performance, only scoring 3 points on 1/11 shooting and 0/8 from three. Many of his shots from behind the arc were wide open too, he just did not have it tonight.
Additionally, Virginia, who is one of the worst teams in the nation in turnover differential, forced seven Memphis first half turnovers, while only turning it over four times themselves.
Virginia was in control and the game was being played at a snail’s pace, exactly how Virginia wanted it to be played. Memphis could not speed Virginia up, and was uncomfortable in the slow paced game, and the turnover stat alone displays that.
The only thing that kept Memphis in the game was Dain Dainja, who the Tigers recognized they had a massive mismatch with. He contributed 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks in the first half, and kept Memphis in the game so they could go on their second half run.
Second Half Haggerty, Second Half Tigers
With 2:28 to go, Haggerty hit a massive stepback 3, in what was the play of the game, to push the Memphis lead to seven. After the play, the ESPN broadcast rightfully referred to him as “PJ Daggerty,” a monicker that was on full display in the second half.
Going into the Maui Invitational, the Tigers had a script for each one of their four games: a poor first half, followed by an elite second half. One of the biggest reasons the team followed this script is because their best player, who apparently now goes by the pseudonym of “Daggerty,” was the lead writer behind it. That familiar trope made a reappearance today for Memphis and Haggerty.
After the Tigers scored 21 points in the first half, Haggerty by himself scored 21 in the second period, and Memphis opened the second half on a 26-9 run, fueled by Haggerty scoring 16 points in the first 9:14 of the second half.
The biggest difference in the second half was Memphis was able to speed Virginia up with Penny Hardaway’s signature press, and they were able to attack the paint. The pressure forced seven Virginia turnovers, and even though the deep ball never started falling, the Tigers took much less threes and focused their efforts on driving in the second half, both of which were necessary adjustments.
In the first half, Memphis only scored 10 points in the paint and got 3 points off turnovers, while in the second half, they got 18 points in the paint and 10 points off turnovers. When you combine the two stats, this is +15 for them in the second half compared to first half, and they scored 22 more points overall in the second half than in the first half, 43 to 21.
These two stats effectively summarize the difference between the two halves, and the 15 more points off of turnovers and points in the paint almost entirely account for the additional points Memphis got in the second half. When you consider the paint attack created many of the 11 more made free throws in the second half as well, the offensive aggression and willingness to abandon the three got Memphis over the top.
Other Items of Note
The center duo of Dain Dainja and Moussa Cisse had great nights as well. Offensively, Dainja, as previously mentioned, allowed Memphis to survive the first half, and finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds on the night. Defensively, Cisse’s rim protection was a massive reason that the press succeeded so well for Memphis, and he gathered 8 rebounds, 2 blocks, and a myriad of altered shots in an incredibly productive 18 minutes, shortened due to him fouling out.
One of the most unsung Tigers, PJ Carter, had two massive moments tonight as well, that without, Memphis may have not won the game. In just 9 minutes of play, Carter made his impact felt with a three in the first half that stopped the game from really getting away from Memphis, cutting Virginia’s lead from nine to six, and a huge three in the second half when Virginia was clawing back, to extend the Tigers’ lead from three to six with 7:15 to play, breaking an over three minute scoring drought for Memphis.
Although his number does not get called a lot, when it does, he is always ready and has hit so many big shots for Memphis this season.
What’s Next
Memphis returns home to play a homestand against two regional rivals, Mississippi St. and Ole Miss, to close out non-conference play. Memphis will play Mississippi St. Saturday at 11:30 a.m. on CBS.
