University of Memphis Athletics
University of Memphis
1-2
Baylor
5-0
Tigers Basketball Falls To Baylor Thursday
Nov 28, 2014 | Men's Basketball
Box Score |
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Boxscore 
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Tigers sophomore guard Pookie Powell netted a season-high 13 points, but it wasn't enough as the University of Memphis fell to Baylor 71-47 in the semifinal round of the 2014 Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational Thanksgiving night. With the loss, the Tigers' record is 1-2, while Baylor improved to 5-0.
Memphis now plays Indiana State in the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational third-place game at 7 p.m. (CT) Friday. Fox Sports 1 will televise the Tigers-Sycamores match-up. Baylor meets Illinois for the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational championship Friday night.
Baylor's Taurean Prince led all scorers with 20 points, and Royce O'Neale scored 16 points. Rico Gathers grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.
For Memphis, Austin Nichols had nine points and a team-best six rebounds. Avery Woodson added eight points and four rebounds.
The Tigers led 32-29 at the break, and a Woodson three-pointer 16 seconds into the second half gave Memphis a 35-29 advantage. But, that's when Baylor took over.
The Bears went on a 26-6 run over the next 12 minutes to take a 55-41 lead with 6:59 left. O'Neale ignited the run with a three-pointer, and then the Bears scored three-straight baskets around the rim (tip-in/two dunks). Prince capped the spurt with a three-pointer.
The remainder of the game Baylor added to its lead for the 71-47 final.
After a nip-and-tuck first half, it looked as if the game would have a closer outcome.
The first half began with a big run for each squad. The Bears started the contest with an 8-0 spurt on the strength of back-to-back three-pointers by Prince and Lester Medford. O'Neale capped the Baylor run with a layup for the 8-0 advantage.
The Tigers, though, fought back and went on a 13-4 run to take a 13-12 lead. Powell, Shaq Goodwin and Nichols all hit layups to start the spurt, and Powell and Markel Crawford nailed consecutive treys to put Memphis ahead.
From there, the teams stayed within striking distance of each other, with the largest lead a five-point Baylor advantage at 20-15. That lead, however, was short-lived as Woodson went on a personal five-point run (layup, three-pointer) to knot the game at 20-all at the 7:13 mark.
Woodson assisted on a Crawford trey for a 23-20 Memphis lead, but Baylor responded to retake the lead at 25-23.
Memphis took the halftime lead at 32-29 on a Powell straight-away three-pointer with :02 on the clock.
Baylor out-rebounded Memphis 43-32, but the Tigers held a 20-14 board advantage at the break.
The Tigers shot 34 percent from the field and 40 percent from the arc. Baylor hit 42.9 percent from the floor and 44 percent from the three-point line.
