Achiuwa has 25 points in loss to No. 21 Houston

Sunday, March 8

Houston, Texas

11 AM

University of Memphis

21-10,10-8AAC

#21 Houston

23-8,13-5AAC

Memphis

Houston

Achiuwa finished with 25 points and 15 rebounds, his 18th double-double of the season.

Photo by: Erik Williams

Mar 08, 2020 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Gamebook (UH 64, UM 57)Memphis Season Statistics (Overall)Memphis Season Statistics (AAC Only)AAC Men's Championship

ECU is next for Tigers in opening round of AAC tournament Thursday in Fort Worth

By: Phil Stukenborg

HOUSTON – Precious Achiuwa tied his season-high with 25 points and added 15 rebounds – his 18^th double-double – but the University of Memphis couldn't do what no American Athletic Conference team has done: beat the Houston Cougars at the Fertitta Center.

Getting 18 points and 14 rebounds from Fabian White Jr., 17 points from Kansas transfer Quentin Grimes and enjoying a 45-41 advantage on the boards, the No. 21 Cougars beat the Tigers, 64-57, Sunday. Houston finished the season 9-0 at home in league play.

Memphis ended the regular season at 21-10 overall, 10-8 in league play. Houston closed at 23-8 and 13-5.

The AAC tournament starts Thursday in Fort Worth, Texas, and the top four seeds will receive a bye into Friday's quarterfinals. The Tigers, the No. 6 seed, open at 9 p.m. Thursday against No. 11 seed ECU. The winner advances to Friday's quarterfinals to play No. 3 seed Tulsa.

As for Sunday's game, which tipped off at 11 a.m., Tigers coach Penny Hardaway said his team played the Cougars tough for 30 minutes, but couldn't sustain the effort.

"We couldn't get it done today," Hardaway said. "We'll just have to go back to the drawing board.

"I'm proud of the guys' effort but they got 19 offensive rebounds and we made 17 turnovers."

Lester Quinones was the only other Tigers' player in double figures with 10. He also had four steals. Alex Lomax finished with five assists.

Ahead by four at the half, the Tigers went up by five, 33-28, following a 3-pointer by Lance Thomas. Houston fought back to tie the game at 33 and took a 37-33 lead on a basket by White with 14 minutes remaining. An Achiuwa dunk and free throw and a Damion Baugh free throw tied the game at 37.

The Tigers led, 41-39, following a jumper by Quinones, then Quentin Grimes went on an 8-0 run, including two 3-pointers, for a 47-41 Houston lead with 7:42 left.

Grimes continued his one-man assault and at one stretch late in the game scored 15 of Houston's 17 points to give the Cougars a 56-43 lead with a little over three minutes left.

Memphis made a late run, but the damage had been done, mostly by Grimes.

Both teams began the morning game suffering from a `spring-forward' time change. The Tigers missed 11 of their first 13 shots, while the Cougars misfired on 12 of their first 16.

Eventually the Tigers found a rhythm and led 30-26 at the half behind Achiuwa, who had 16 points and seven rebounds at the break.

Memphis trailed 13-7 midway through the opening half, slowed by turnovers, poor shooting and a strong-rebounding Houston. But the Tigers went on a 14-5 run powered mostly by Achiuwa and Quinones.

Quinones had eight points during the run (including two 3-pointers) and Achiuwa added a layup and a dunk for a 21-18 lead that stretched to 30-24 with a minute remaining in the half. Achiuwa drained a 3-pointer with 1:34 to go for a 29-24 advantage.

The nation's leading field goal percentage defensive team, the UofM limited Houston to 22.2 percent shooting in the opening 20 minutes.

TIGERS NOTEBOOK

Damion Baugh, injured in the team's win Thursday at home against Wichita State, started. Baugh injured his thumb and did not play in the second half against Wichita State, but started against Houston and had his right hand heavily taped.
Precious Achiuwa recorded the 18^th double-double of the season. He moved into a tie with Dedric Lawson for seventh-most in a single season. Lawson had 18 during the 2016-17 season.
The Tigers held an opponent to 35 percent or less shooting for the fifth straight game and for the sixth time in seven games.