University of Memphis Athletics
Saturday, January 16
Memphis, Tenn.
11 am CT
University of Memphis
12-5, 3-1American
71
vs
56
USF
3-16, 0-6American
1
2
F
South Florida
22
34
56
Memphis
30
41
71
Team Stats
USF
MEM
FG%
.322
.361
3FG%
.300
.182
FT%
.682
.750
RB
50
41
TO
16
3
STL
1
9
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
18
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
8
Pts
13
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
7
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G/F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballPhoto by: Joe Murphy
Lawson’s Double-Double Paces Tigers over Bulls
Jan 16, 2016 | Men's Basketball
Freshman scored an 18-point, 12-rebound double-double
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – In a game where the Tigers did not trail – the fourth time this season that has happened – the squad got a balanced effort with seven players scoring six or more points in a 71-56 win over the USF Bulls on Saturday morning.
Lawson, who ranked fifth among all freshman in NCAA Division I in double-doubles, added to his total with 18 points, hitting 5-of-17 from the field and 8-of-9 from the charity stripe, while pulling down a dozen rebounds - seven on the offensive end. Shaq Goodwin scored 13 points – all in the second half – while grabbing six rebounds and twice brought the 11,681 fans at FedExForum to their feet with thunderous dunks.
Two players, Ricky Tarrant Jr. and Sam Craft each scored nine points, the latter a new career-best, while Markel Crawford scored eight points. Tarrant Jr., Lawson, and Trahson Burrell each dished out three assists for tops on the team, while Burrell led the team with two blocks and three steals.
The Tigers (12-5, 3-1 American Athletic Conference) committed a season-low three turnovers, including none in the first half, while South Florida committed 16 turnovers in the game, contributing to nine Memphis steals.
Craft got the scoring early in the game, hitting a running jumper 22 seconds into the contest, before Crawford hit a basket a minute and a half later, staking the hosts to a lead that they would not give up for the remainder of the contest.
The teams traded baskets with the Tigers leading by two at 6-4 before the hosts ran off nine straight points, capped by a Burrell lay-in that put Memphis ahead 15-4, forcing the Bulls (3-16, 0-6 American) into a timeout with 13:46 to play in the opening period.
After settling the squad, USF ran off 10 straight points to cut the gap to one; however, Memphis countered with a run of their own, a 7-0 surge. In a half of runs, the Bulls scored four straight, which was answered with the Tigers scoring eight straight to lead by 12.
USF closed the first half by scoring back-to-back baskets, cutting the gap to eight at 30-22 heading into the locker room at halftime.
The Bulls continued their momentum into the second half, closing the gap to as few as three – the last coming with 15:52 to play, before Memphis put on the offensive and defensive pressure, using a 15-2 run to pull ahead by 16, and the margin never reached single digits the rest of the way.
During the tail end of the run, and over a four-minute span the Tigers put on a highlight-reel performance, started with a fastbreak dunk from Goodwin with 10:36 to play in the game. Also included in that was a dunk from Burrell, followed by a tip-dunk from Burrell on the next possession. The next time down the floor Lawson faked a behind the back pass, and then with his right hand underhanded a lob to a charging Goodwin who took the pass and thundered home the all-oop dunk.
The margin reached as many as 18, and closed at 15 in the 71-56 Memphis win.
Memphis shot 36.1 percent from the field (26-of-72), and 4-of-22 (18.2 percent) from long range. The team also shot 75 percent or better for the third straight game, making 15-of-20 charity stripe attempts.
The Tiger defense, which ranked fifth in the country in field goal percentage defense, held the Bulls to 19-of-59 shooting from the field (32.2 percent), and 3-of-10 from long range.
Angel Nunez scored a team-high 22 points for the Bulls, while Jahmal McMurray added 13.
The Tigers return to action on Thursday, January 21, when the team travels to Cincinnati, Ohio, to take on the Bearcats in a 6 p.m. contest broadcasts on ESPN2.
Lawson, who ranked fifth among all freshman in NCAA Division I in double-doubles, added to his total with 18 points, hitting 5-of-17 from the field and 8-of-9 from the charity stripe, while pulling down a dozen rebounds - seven on the offensive end. Shaq Goodwin scored 13 points – all in the second half – while grabbing six rebounds and twice brought the 11,681 fans at FedExForum to their feet with thunderous dunks.
Two players, Ricky Tarrant Jr. and Sam Craft each scored nine points, the latter a new career-best, while Markel Crawford scored eight points. Tarrant Jr., Lawson, and Trahson Burrell each dished out three assists for tops on the team, while Burrell led the team with two blocks and three steals.
The Tigers (12-5, 3-1 American Athletic Conference) committed a season-low three turnovers, including none in the first half, while South Florida committed 16 turnovers in the game, contributing to nine Memphis steals.
Craft got the scoring early in the game, hitting a running jumper 22 seconds into the contest, before Crawford hit a basket a minute and a half later, staking the hosts to a lead that they would not give up for the remainder of the contest.
The teams traded baskets with the Tigers leading by two at 6-4 before the hosts ran off nine straight points, capped by a Burrell lay-in that put Memphis ahead 15-4, forcing the Bulls (3-16, 0-6 American) into a timeout with 13:46 to play in the opening period.
After settling the squad, USF ran off 10 straight points to cut the gap to one; however, Memphis countered with a run of their own, a 7-0 surge. In a half of runs, the Bulls scored four straight, which was answered with the Tigers scoring eight straight to lead by 12.
USF closed the first half by scoring back-to-back baskets, cutting the gap to eight at 30-22 heading into the locker room at halftime.
The Bulls continued their momentum into the second half, closing the gap to as few as three – the last coming with 15:52 to play, before Memphis put on the offensive and defensive pressure, using a 15-2 run to pull ahead by 16, and the margin never reached single digits the rest of the way.
During the tail end of the run, and over a four-minute span the Tigers put on a highlight-reel performance, started with a fastbreak dunk from Goodwin with 10:36 to play in the game. Also included in that was a dunk from Burrell, followed by a tip-dunk from Burrell on the next possession. The next time down the floor Lawson faked a behind the back pass, and then with his right hand underhanded a lob to a charging Goodwin who took the pass and thundered home the all-oop dunk.
The margin reached as many as 18, and closed at 15 in the 71-56 Memphis win.
Memphis shot 36.1 percent from the field (26-of-72), and 4-of-22 (18.2 percent) from long range. The team also shot 75 percent or better for the third straight game, making 15-of-20 charity stripe attempts.
The Tiger defense, which ranked fifth in the country in field goal percentage defense, held the Bulls to 19-of-59 shooting from the field (32.2 percent), and 3-of-10 from long range.
Angel Nunez scored a team-high 22 points for the Bulls, while Jahmal McMurray added 13.
The Tigers return to action on Thursday, January 21, when the team travels to Cincinnati, Ohio, to take on the Bearcats in a 6 p.m. contest broadcasts on ESPN2.
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