A 109-102 double-overtime win against the Yale Bulldogs (1-1) was what the Memphis men’s basketball team needed to improve to 2-1 on the season in a game that kept fans on the edge of their seat for most of the game.
Tyler Harris, freshman guard, did not play like a rookie, leading the way with 22 points and three rebounds. Senior guard Jeremiah Martin added 20 points, five assists and three steals, and freshman guard Alex Lomax added 13 points, five rebounds and three steals.
The team came in wearing patches on their jerseys honoring Karim Sameh Azab, a fallen teammate who lost his battle with leukemia, with his initials and his number 23. Head coach Penny Hardaway gave Yale credit after his team pulled out the victory.
“When you look at a team on film, you can see that they’re good, but when you see them in person, they were great at everything they did,” Hardaway said. “We just outlasted them.”
The Tigers were tested throughout the whole night with Yale's strong perimeter offense. In the first half alone, Yale made 47 percent of their three-pointers: seven out of 15 attempts. They also shared the ball well with seven assists in the first half.
Memphis was shaky in the beginning, but after that, senior forward Mike Parks made an instant impact off the bench. He led the team with 11 points in the first half, and he seemed to be getting back to form to help Memphis' rebound struggles.
Harris came into the second half not playing like a typical freshman. He came in making the first three-pointer of the night for the Tigers as they struggled shooting from deep at 26 percent (6-23).
The biggest woe of the night for the Tigers was free throws. Memphis had 56 free throw attempts and missed 19 of those shots. Martin admitted his 9-16 shooting was his downfall of the game.
“I know I was having one of my worst free throw nights ever,” Martin said. "That’s one thing I know I’m going to work on. I promise that I probably won’t ever have a free throw night like this."
Clutch free throws is what carried the Tigers through both overtimes. Three free throws from Harris with two seconds left in the second half tied the game at 83-83 and led them into the first overtime. Kyvon Davenport made one of two free throws with three seconds left in the first overtime to tie it up 96-96.
The Tigers got 13 points in the second overtime to eventually seal the victory and defended their home court. Hardaway said he experienced close games throughout his playing career and noted it’s easier as a player because he can go out on the court and execute, but as a coach, it was a bit more stressful for him. What he said mattered most for him was winning in Memphis before they embark on a tough road schedule ahead, as they will not play at FedEx Forum until Dec. 4 against South Dakota State.
“You have to win your games at home,” Hardaway said. “We can’t lose at home. That’s something that we didn’t do when I was at school.”
Memphis will be back in action at the AdvoCare Invitational in Orlando, Florida, against Oklahoma State at 3 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.
Forward Mike Parks Jr. defends the rim as a Yale player goes up for a layup. Coach Penny Hardaway has his team playing with heart and poise.
