All eyes were on Memphis, Tennessee, as the #1 ranked Houston Cougars came to town. Memphis would fall on a heartbreaking buzzer-beater 67-65. With the loss, Memphis will finish the regular season with a 23-8 overall record and 13-5 in conference play. We will examine the game, how many people packed the Forum, who played well, and what is next for Memphis. What happened in the game?
How did it happen?
How did it end?
Memphis would fight the entire game as they would overcome their most significant halftime deficit of 9 points. Fans watched an absolute classic in a game that only saw two lead changes and would only be tied six times. Houston would hold the lead for 27:22 in this game. With 8:31 to go in the match, Memphis would have a 56-51 lead before a 10-0 run would regain the lead. In the final few minutes, as the Tigers would even score on shots from deep and attacking the basket. In the end, Sheads shot would be the final dagger.
Did Memphis Show up?
Memphis would fall to 0-11 all-time against #1 ranked teams today in front of 18,437 fans inside the FedEx Forum. This would rank at home as the 6th largest crowd for a Tigers game. The stadium was striped in Blue and White as they ‘Striped The Forum’ for this game. The crowd was in a frenzy the entire game,, and both teams had great action to watch. Memphis has seen a resurgence of fans in the Penny Era so far. With the team continuing to win and make postseason tournaments, the Tigers played great against the top team in the nation. Let’s look at a couple of players who stood out.
Who Stood Out?
Leading Memphis was Kendric Davis with 26 points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal, and five turnovers in 38 minutes of play. Chandler Lawson would play 22 minutes and score 10 points along with Malcomd Dandidge, who had 9 points and played tremendously with seven rebounds, helping Memphis play with the top team. Memphis would commit 22 turnovers, have 22 points in the paint, ten fast break points, 6-second chance, and 14 points off the bench. As a team, Memphis finished with 19/53 {35%} from the field, 6/18 {33%} from 3, and 21/23 {91%} from the free throw stripe. This play from these players and others must continue as Memphis starts postseason play. Spealing of postseason hoops. When does Memphis play next?
What is Next?
Memphis will travel to Fort Worth, Texas, to compete in the 2023 AAC Tournament. This will take place from March 9-12 at Dickies Arena. Memphis is the #2 seed in this tournament. We will have more coverage on who and when the Tiger’s play is coming up.
