The Memphis Tigers baksetball team (1-1) fell short on the road against the No. 22 LSU Tigers (3-0), 76-85 after a tightly contested game, with a total of 10 lead changes, until midway through the second half.
Penny Hardaway’s first road game as the Tigers’ head coach was bittersweet. Even though they lost, Memphis showed they can compete with top programs like LSU.
LSU defense
Memphis and LSU both had 14 turnovers in the game, but LSU was a better defensive team. LSU totaled 10 steals, doubling Memphis’ total of five. LSU was led by guards Tremont Waters and Ja’vonte Smart, as both players had three steals.
In a game decided by nine points, the LSU Tigers were better rim-protectors than Memphis. Memphis totaled three blocks, all of which came from 6-foot-10 forward Isaiah Maurice. LSU blocked twice as many shots with six, led by 6-foot-7 forward Darius Days, who had two in the game.
Harris has a bounce-back performance
Freshman guard Tyler Harris had a rough first game to open the season against Tennessee Tech, shooting 0-6 from both the field and the three-point line. Harris had only a single rebound and three assists to show for the game.
In Baton Rouge, Harris looked much more comfortable and led all players in the game with 20 points. Harris connected on 7-16 field goals for 44 percent and shot 6-13 from beyond the arc for 46 percent. Harris also secured two rebounds and an assist against LSU.
Memphis Tigers’ struggles
After a double-double performance with 30 points and 10 rebounds against Tennessee Tech, senior forward Kyvon Davenport did not have his best night shooting. Davenport totaled 10 points, shooting 4-11 on field goals for 36 percent and connecting on 1-5 from the three-point line.
Davenport was also responsible for a team-high of five turnovers and totaled three fouls.
Senior guard Jeremiah Martin, another star from the Tennessee Tech game, also struggled to shoot threes against LSU, knocking down 1-7 for 14 percent. Martin had 15 points in the game but had four turnovers and committed a team-high four fouls.
Freshman guard Alex Lomax had four points, connecting on 1-9 field goals for 11 percent and going 0-2 from the three-point line.
LSU’s star players
Waters displayed his court vision and willingness to give up the ball and pass to the open man against Memphis. Waters, fresh off a double-double game where he had 21 points and 10 assists, found passing lanes and led LSU with eight assists against Memphis.
Freshman forward Emmitt Williams led LSU with a team-high of 15 rebounds going into the Memphis game. Williams snagged 10 rebounds against Memphis and totaled 11 points.
LSU’s best player of the game was 6-foot-4 guard Skylar Mays. Mays led the team with 19 points, connecting 6-11 field goals for 55 percent and knocking down 3-5 from beyond the three-point arc.
Looking ahead
The Tigers will look to turn things around when Memphis plays the Yale Bulldogs (1-0), who are coming off a 76-59 victory against California in the 2018 Pac-12 China Game, on Nov. 17 at FedEx Forum.
