Tigers snap Vols' 31-game home win streak

Saturday, December 14

Knoxville, Tenn.

2 PM

University of Memphis

9-1,0-0AAC

Tennessee

7-2,0-0SEC

Memphis

Tennessee

Photo by: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Dec 14, 2019 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Gamebook (UM 51, UT 47)

Lomax, Harris lead Memphis to win over Tennessee

By: Phil Stukenborg

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A double-digit first-half deficit didn't intimidate the University of Memphis. Neither did the fact Tennessee had won 31 straight at Thompson-Boling Arena.

In the end, the 13^th-ranked Tigers came up big when it mattered, knocking off the 19^th-ranked Vols, 51-47, Saturday.

D.J. Jeffries and Tyler Harris scored 11 points each to lead the Tigers and Damion Baugh added 10 key points to give the Tigers their seventh-straight win.

"This win means a lot, (Tennessee) is a terrific team . . . they work really hard," said Memphis coach Penny Hardaway. "This win is a big win for us, for a lot of reasons. We weren't (favored) to win coming into a building like this."

The building was electric. Nearly 22,000 fans filled the arena to capacity and they were vocal from the outset. But the Tigers fought through the noise and settled down after a rough start.

Defensively, the Tigers (9-1) were impressive, limiting the Vols (7-2) to 25 percent shooting. UT starting guard Lamonte Turner was held to 1-of-11 shooting and finished with five points. Another starter, Jordan Bowden, was 2-of-10 shooting.The Vols made only one of 11 attempts from 3-point range in the second half.

Memphis also fared well on the boards. The Tigers had 49 rebounds,10 more than Tennessee. The Vols entered the game outrebounding its opposition by 11.1 rebounds.

In the final two minutes, the Tigers executed. Baugh had a big 3-pointer with 1:44 to go and reserve guard Alex Lomax sank two free throws in the closing seconds to secure what Hardaway called "the best win of his career." Baugh's 3-pointer gave the Tigers a 49-47 lead.

The victory avenged a home loss to the Vols last year at FedExForum and sets up a deciding game in the three-game series next year in Nashville.

"We came out with a chip on our shoulder," Jeffries said. "We grew up today."

Playing one of their biggest games of the non-conference season, the Tigers once again were without James Wiseman, the team's 7-foot-1 freshman All-American, and freshman guard Lester Quinones. Wiseman missed his seventh straight game per an NCAA ruling and Quinones missed his fourth in a row recovering from a broken hand.

The Tigers, ahead by one at the half, built a four-point lead at 37-33 on a 3-pointer from the left corner by Jeffries.

But Memphis couldn't pull ahead any farther. The Vols answered each time and regained the lead, 43-42, with 5:55 to go on 10-foot jumper in the lane by ves Pons.

In the first half, the Tigers trailed by as many as 12 (17-5), but slowly recovered and took the lead at the break when Harris scored on a twisting layup at the buzzer.

"When we were down early, we knew we just tense," Baugh said.

The Tigers struggled from the field in the opening half. They shot 31 percent (9-of-29) and committed 11 turnovers.

But the Vols fared worse from the field. They managed to shoot only 20 percent (6-of-30) and missed 12 of their 15 3-point tries.

At the half, Harris and Achiuwa had eight points apiece. Achiuwa had 11 rebounds.

Memphis resumes play next week with a home game Saturday against Jackson State. Tip-off is noon at FedExForum.

NOTES

Penny Hardaway became the first Tigers coach to win in his first visit to Knoxville. Larry FInch, Tic Price, John Calipari and Josh Pastner all lost their openers at Thompson-Boling.
The Tigers have won three of their last four in Knoxville, all by single digits.
Memphis is 1-1 vs. ranked teams this season. The Tigers lost at No. 14 Oregon last month.
Tennessee's 31-game home court winning streak was the longest active home streak in the nation.
The Vols fell to 3-1 vs. ranked teams this season.