Tigers Take Down Tulsa in AAC Tournament Opener

Friday, March 11

Orlando, Fla.

8 pm CT

University of Memphis

18-14

Tulsa

20-11

Memphis

Tulsa

Photo by: Ben Solomon

Mar 11, 2016 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Dedric Lawson and Ricky Tarrant Jr. each reach 20-point mark in win

ORLANDO - Memphis used a 22-9 run to close out the first half, and opened the second half on a 19-9 streak to lead by 24, cruising to an 89-67 win over the Tulsa Hurricane in the quarterfinals of the 2016 American Athletic Conference Championship.

Memphis will face off against the Tulane Green Wave, which upset second-seeded Houston 72-69 to advance to the AAC Semifinals. The game, which will be broadcast on ESPN2, will tip-off at 5 p.m. at the Amway Center.

Dedric Lawson scored a game-high 22 points while pulling down 12 rebounds for his 16th double-double of the season. Ricky Tarrant Jr. added 21 points including five three-pointers. Trahson Burrell scored 19 points while dishing out four assists and pulling down five rebounds, as Avery Woodson recorded his first collegiate double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

"I'm really proud of our young men," said Memphis head coach Josh Pastner. "We played really well from start-to-finish. Dedric got his 16th double-double, which is one short of Keith Lee's 17 for a freshman record at Memphis. Trahson Burrell played reall well, was active, and obviously Ricky really got us going with those five three's and no turnovers."

Memphis out-rebounded the Golden Hurricane 42-to-35, and had 16 offensive rebounds, while dishing out 13 assists against just eight turnovers while adding three blocked shots and six steals.

Memphis found itself trailing 9-4 through the first five minutes of the game, and trailed by three at 14-11 before an 8-0 run - capped by the second of two straight Tarrant three's - pushed the Tigers ahead by five at 19-14. Memphis would not trail again, despite seeing the Golden Hurricane fight to tie the score at 21 points apiece.

With the tigers leading by one at 24-23 with just over eight minutes to play in the opening half, as Memphis closed the opening 20 minutes on a 22-9 run, stretching the lead to 14 on Tarrant's third and final three-point field goal of the half, with the Tigers pushing its lead to 46-32 at the break.

Tulsa opened the second half scoring first on a free throw; however, Memphis stretched its lead to 65-41 behind a second-half-opening 19-9 run, and pushing ahead to a 24-point lead. The margin reached as large as 31, and settled at the final margin of 22, at 89-67.

Memphis hit 42.9 percent of its shots in the game (30-of-70), and 36 percent from long range (9-of-25).

Tulsa was led by Shaquille Harrison who scored 15 points, as Brandon Swannegan scored 14 and James Woodard 11 in the losing effort.