University of Memphis Athletics

Photo by: Joe Murphy
No. 12/16 Tigers Open Season with 89-65 Win
Nov 09, 2021 | Men's Basketball
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The No. 12/16 Memphis Tigers began the 2021-22 season with an 89-65 win over Tennessee Tech Tuesday night at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn.
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Memphis (1-0) shot 59.3 percent from the floor as a team (35-59), its fourth-best shooting performance in a game since 2010-11. The Tigers also hit 13-of-26 3-point tries (.500).
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Freshmen Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren led the way with 17 and 15 points, respectively, going a combined 13-for-19 from the field, and Duren also had six rebounds and five blocked shots. Lester Quinones had 15 points, hitting 3-of-6 from distance, and he also grabbed a game-high seven rebounds.
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DeAndre Williams added 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting and four assists, and Landers Nolley II had 10 points.
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The Tigers came out firing in the first half, leading by as many as 16 points, and torched the nets in the first 20 minutes at a blistering 62.5 percent pace (20-32).
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Tennessee Tech (0-1) was led by Mamoudou Diarra's 11 points.
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UP NEXT
Memphis hosts North Carolina Central Saturday at 6 p.m. After Saturday, the Tigers remain home to welcome Saint Louis next Tuesday at 7 p.m. and Western Kentucky next Friday at 7 p.m., before venturing to the NIT Season Tip-Off in Brooklyn, N.Y., the week of Thanksgiving.
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Tickets for 2021-22 are available online at www.GoTigersGoTix.com or by phone at (901) 678-2331.
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POSTGAME NOTES
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Memphis (1-0) shot 59.3 percent from the floor as a team (35-59), its fourth-best shooting performance in a game since 2010-11. The Tigers also hit 13-of-26 3-point tries (.500).
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Freshmen Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren led the way with 17 and 15 points, respectively, going a combined 13-for-19 from the field, and Duren also had six rebounds and five blocked shots. Lester Quinones had 15 points, hitting 3-of-6 from distance, and he also grabbed a game-high seven rebounds.
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DeAndre Williams added 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting and four assists, and Landers Nolley II had 10 points.
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The Tigers came out firing in the first half, leading by as many as 16 points, and torched the nets in the first 20 minutes at a blistering 62.5 percent pace (20-32).
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Tennessee Tech (0-1) was led by Mamoudou Diarra's 11 points.
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UP NEXT
Memphis hosts North Carolina Central Saturday at 6 p.m. After Saturday, the Tigers remain home to welcome Saint Louis next Tuesday at 7 p.m. and Western Kentucky next Friday at 7 p.m., before venturing to the NIT Season Tip-Off in Brooklyn, N.Y., the week of Thanksgiving.
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Tickets for 2021-22 are available online at www.GoTigersGoTix.com or by phone at (901) 678-2331.
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POSTGAME NOTES
- Memphis used the starting lineup of Alex Lomax, Emoni Bates, Lester Quinones, DeAndre Williams and Jalen Duren to start the season.
- Memphis has won 19 consecutive home openers dating back to an 81-80 overtime loss to Austin Peay on Nov. 22, 2002.
- Memphis has won seven-straight games against the Golden Eagles and leads the all-time series between the two schools 30-24 overall and 23-7 in Memphis.
- The Tigers have won eight-straight games at FedExForum and are 44-7 at home under head coach Penny Hardaway.
- Memphis has won nine-straight games when scoring 80-plus points.
- Along with Bates and Duren, Tiger cagers John Camden, Chandler Lawson, Josh Minott and Earl Timberlake all made their Memphis debuts.
- After averaging 9.5 rebounds per game in Memphis' final six games of 2020-21, Lester Quinones led the way with seven in the game.
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