The No. 24 Memphis Tigers(15-4, 5-1) prevailed 61-53 over the Wichita State Shockers(11-8, 1-5) thanks to a strong defensive effort in an otherwise sloppy contest.
For the fifth consecutive American Athletic Conference(AAC) game, Memphis found themselves in a battle late against an inferior opponent.
The Shockers went into halftime with a 27-23 lead and led by two points with less than five minutes to go in the game.
Here's the good, the bad, and the big picture:
Good: the PJs
PJ Haggerty continues to be an elite scorer. Haggerty finished with 22 points on 8/11 shooting. Haggerty's ability to find ways to score was paramount for Memphis to escape with a victory.
Off the bench, PJ Carter put together one of his best games of the season, scoring 7 points and grabbing 4 rebounds in 18 minutes. Carter talked about providing energy in the postgame press conference, and his energy was big in turning the tides against the Shockers.
Good: Defense
The Tigers looked completely lost at times offensively, but their defensive effort was incredibly consistent. Memphis held Wichita State under 30 points in both halves.
Memphis took the defense to another level in closing time, holding the Shockers to 4 points in the final seven minutes of the game.
Bad: Turnovers
Memphis entered the game averaging a turnover on 20% of their possessions, and the Tigers continued to give the ball away at an alarming rate in the first half.
The Tigers went into halftime with 14 turnovers and only 2 assists.
Memphis only turned the ball over 6 times in the second half, but the turnover bug continues to nag the Tigers.
Bad: Rebounds
In the Tigers' loss at Temple, rebounding was the story. The Owls nearly doubled up Memphis on the boards, causing concern.
Against Charlotte, Memphis looked better, but Wichita State won the rebounding battle at FedExForum Thursday night.
With an elite rebounding UAB team looming, Memphis must improve their efforts on the glass.
Big Picture
Memphis' late run helped the Tigers avoid another drop in their predictive metrics, so Memphis' NCAA tournament résumé did not change.
The Tigers avoided a "bad loss" and will look to take control of the AAC standings Sunday when they face UAB.
