The Memphis Tigers kicked off their three-game road trip to close out the regular season Sunday, taking on Cincinnati at Fifth Third Arena. With the conference tournament less than two weeks away, it was a must-win for Memphis if they wanted to keep their chances of returning to the NCAA tournament alive.
Simply put, Memphis outhustled Cincinnati in the first half. They tallied fourteen second-chance points compared to the zero from the Bearcats, scored twenty-two points in the paint and dominated the rebounding margin, 29-16. Neither offense shot particularly well early, but Memphis took a nine-point lead into the halftime break thanks to a relentless effort both defensively and on the glass.
The Tigers continued to impose their will for most of the second half, stretching their lead to as much as twelve. While disaster nearly struck in the form of an 8-0 Bearcats run over a twenty-eight second span that cut the margin to just two in the final minute, Memphis ultimately held on to win, 80-74.
Boogie Ellis made several big shots down the stretch and finished with seventeen points, Deandre Williams was three rebounds shy of a triple-double and Malcolm Dandridge came up huge off the bench, finishing with fourteen points and three boards. Memphis won on the road at Cincinnati for the first time since 2007-2008.
“We know that anytime we come into Cicinnati the environment is going to be intense,” coach Penny Hardaway said. “We knew what we were dealing with. We had a chance to win here last year and didn’t quite get the job done. It’s always a tough environment. Me and my coaching staff, we were in tune with keeping the guys’ heads steady, understanding what was happening at each moment and just keeping everybody focused on what the next play was going to be and what we needed.”
In wake of missing point guard Alex Lomax, who was ruled out prior to tip-off because of an ankle injury suffered in Saturday’s practice, it was Deandre Williams who stepped up to assume more of a facilitator’s role. Playing primarily as a point-forward, Williams led the way with his ten assists and showed yet again why Hardaway was so thrilled when he received his eligibility earlier this season.
“A Lo holds so much weight on our team,” Williams said. “When he went down, I knew everybody had to elevate their game. I just tried to be the leader that I normally am and step up talking. Just step up in all areas and I tried to push my other teammates to do the same.”
Now with just two games remaining, there will be no time to rest for Memphis. They will gear up for a clash with South Florida Tuesday, then close out the regular season next Sunday against Houston. With two wins, the Tigers likely secure an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament. Depending on what happens around the rest of the American Athletic Conference, a regular season conference title is not entirely out of the question yet, either.
“It’s meant to be this way,” Hardaway said. “Nobody is going to give us anything. We had to come in here and take it, we’re going to have to go to South Florida and take it and we’re definitely going to have to go to Houston and take it.”
Tip-off vs the Bulls is set for 8 p.m. Tuesday night from the Yuengling Center.
The Tigers, after their matchup with USF on Tuesday, will face off against Houston on Sunday. They have to win to keep their tournament hopes alive.
