Tigers finish with a flourish, defeat Little Rock

Wednesday, December 19

Memphis, Tenn.

7 PM

University of Memphis

Little Rock

Memphis

Isaiah Maurice (14) and Tyler Harris (1) celebrate during Wednesday's win over LIttle Rock.

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Dec 19, 2018 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Boxscore (UM 99, LR 89)

Jones shines in first career start; Martin scores 22; Davenport posts double-double

By: Phil Stukenborg

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis placed five players in double figures – including freshman Antwann Jones who made his debut as a starter – to outlast Little Rock, 99-89, Wednesday night at FedExForum.

Senior guard Jeremiah Martin led the Tigers with a season-high tying 22 points, followed by seniors Kyvon Davenport and Kareem Brewton, who came off the bench to score 15 apiece. Freshman Tyler Harris added 14 points and Jones scored 13.

Jones was instrumental in the closing minutes, allowing the Tigers (6-5) to overcome a two-point deficit (86-84) with 3:52 left. Jones tied the game with a strong driving layup, then fed Martin for back-to-back layups and, a minute later, zipped a no-look pass to Davenport for another layup and a 95-86 cushion.

"For me, I was just having fun out there and making plays for my teammates," Jones said.

His first start also included a team-high six assists (tying Alex Lomax, who he replaced in the lineup), five rebounds and two blocked shots.

"Twan has great vision," Davenport said. "That's why he's starting."

For the second straight game, Davenport had a productive second half. He had 26 of his career-high 31 points in the second half last weekend against Tennessee and Wednesday night he had 13 points and 13 rebounds after halftime. He finished with a career-high 15 rebounds to post his fourth double-double of the season and his 12^th of his career.

Rayjon Tucker, a Florida Gulf Coast transfer, had 29 points to lead all scorers.

Tiger coach Penny Hardaway was not pleased with his team's defensive effort. The UofM allowed 38 fastbreak points and 50 percent shooting. But the Tigers closed on a 15-3 run, scoring key points in the paint when they needed them.

"We can't take anyone lightly," Hardaway said. "We were 5-5 coming into the game. We have to come out swinging."

And he also was impressed with the contributions from Jones, who stepped up when the Tigers needed a closing spark.

"Antwann was doing some really good things out there," Hardaway said. "Getting in the starting lineup really energized him. He was really focused when the game started and made some great plays on the defensive end and the offensive end."

Memphis, which led by nine points at halftime, watched Little Rock score two quick baskets after the half to trim the advantage to 48-43. The Trojans eventually tied the game at 66 on a dunk by Kris Bankston. Two free throws from Markquis Nowell 24 seconds later gave the Trojans a 68-66 lead.

The Tigers pulled back ahead by six (75-69) with 9:27 to go, but couldn't pull away from the Trojans (5-7). The game was tied at 77, 81, 83 and 86 during a late six-minute stretch in the game before Jones ignited a final run.

In the first half, the Tigers overcame a sluggish start to take a 48-39 lead. The UofM trailed by four (22-18) with 11 minutes left in the half, but rallied behind a 20-4 run in the final six minutes for a 48-35 lead.

During the run, the Tigers got contributions from a host of players. Martin scored five points, Raynere Thornton added four and Lomax scored three.

The Tigers shot 44.4 percent in the opening half and made 12 of 15 free throws. But the UofM was particularly dominant on the boards, outrebounding the Trojans, 28-11. Thornton led the first-half rebounding with nine.

Little Rock stayed close behind its long-range accuracy. The Trojans made 8-of-14 from beyond the arc.

NOTABLES

The 48 first-half points by the Tigers were their second-highest in an opening half this season. The UofM scored 49 in the opening half against UAB.
Tiger guard Jeremiah Martin tied his season high point total. He scored 22. He also added six rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Memphis forward Kyvon Davenport finished with a career-high 15 boards.
Tiger reserve guard Kareem Brewton scored a season-high 15 points and had a team-high four steals.
After shooting 57 percent in the second half against Tennessee in last weekend's 102-92 loss, the Tigers shot 56 percent in the second half against Little Rock.
The Tigers enjoyed a 49-23 advantage on the boards. Davenport (15) and Raynere Thronton (11) were the leaders.