Tigers outlast strong challenge from ECU

Thursday, January 10

Memphis, Tenn.

8 PM

University of Memphis

ECU

East Carolina

Memphis

Kyvon Davenport had his sixth double-double of the season with 14 points, 11 rebounds.

Photo by: Matthew Smith

Jan 10, 2019 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Led by Harris' 16 points, UofM places six in double figures in 78-72 league victory.

By: Phil Stukenborg

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis fought back from a 15-point first-half deficit to overcome ECU, 78-72, Thursday night in an American Athletic Conference game at FedExForum.

The Tigers (10-6, 2-1 The American) placed six players in double figures and were led in scoring by freshman Tyler Harris (16 points). Harris scored 10 of his points in the second half and had three assists during the same stretch.

Kyvon Davenport, who had been coming off the bench since a late-November game against Canisius, started and added 14 points and a team-high 11 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season. Other Tigers in double-figures were Kareem Brewton (13), Jeremiah Martin (10), Antwann Jones (10) and Isaiah Maurice (10).

Memphis trailed by eight (59-51) midway through the second half, but rallied behind multiple contributors, including Harris, Martin and Maurice. The Tigers ended the game on a 17-7 run to survive 14 turnovers and being beaten on the boards, 44-31.

"It wasn't a pretty win, but at the end of the day it's a win," Tiger coach Penny Hardaway said. "We'll take those."

ECU (8-7, 1-2) placed five in double figures, led by league freshman of the year candidate Jayden Gardner. He finished with 18 points and eight rebounds.

Hardaway shook up his lineup starting the team's five seniors – Davenport and Brewton along with regular starters Martin, Raynere Thornton and Mike Parks – but midway through the first half the Tigers trailed, 33-18.

Hardaway said he wasn't worried by the early deficit "because it was still early."

"I saw what was going on. East Carolina had the energy and punched us first. But it was more of what we were doing to ourselves."

In the opening 20 minutes, the Tigers spent the majority of the half trailing by double digits. The deficit reached 15 points with 8:03 to go when Seth LeDay muscled inside for a layup.

It took several more minutes for the Tigers to rally, but they finished strong to trim ECU's lead to four, 40-36. The UofM finished the half on a 12-2 run, capped by 3-pointers from Davenport and Harris. Harris drained his trey from the deep left wing with five seconds to go.

Memphis shot 48 percent in the first half, while ECU shot 45.5 percent. ECU won the first-half battle on the boards, 19-16, and committed only six turnovers.

The Tigers return to the conference road Sunday with a 5 p.m. game at Tulane.

NOTABLES

Tigers freshman guard Alex Lomax suffered a head injury in the first half and did not return.
Tigers freshman guard Tyler Harris had a string of 23 consecutive free throws snapped with a rare miss in the second half. A 93-percent shooter from the line entering the game, Harris was an uncharacteristic 2-for-5.
Tigers forward Kyvon Davenport recorded the sixth double-double of the season and the 14^th of his career.
By shaking up the lineup and starting all seniors, the Tigers have now had only one player – Jeremiah Martin – start each of the team's 16 games.