Tigers Stumble in Second Half Against Murray State

Friday, December 10

Memphis, Tenn.

7 p.m.

University of Memphis

Murray State

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Dec 10, 2021 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Memphis Tigers led by 14 points at halftime Friday night at FedExForum, but Murray State came back on the strength of 10 second-half 3-pointers to earn a 74-72 win.

The loss snaps Memphis' 11-game home winning streak dating back to a 56-49 loss to Tulsa on Dec. 21, 2020. The Tigers (5-4) have lost four-straight games.

Tyler Harris led the Tigers with 15 points on 3-of-6 3-point shooting, and he also had a team-high four assists. Jalen Duren added 14 points, five rebounds and three assists. Emoni Bates, Lester Quinones and DeAndre Williams all had nine points for the Tigers.

Murray State's Tevin Brown had 22 points, going 6-for-13 from behind the arc, and Justice Hill added 20 and six assists.

The Racers (8-1) made 14-of-29 tries from distance in the game (.483).

Murray State led 24-23 with 5:47 to play in the first half, but after that it was all Tigers on the way to the halftime locker room. Memphis scored 17 of the final 19 points of the half and forced six Murray State turnovers to take a 40-26 lead into intermission.

Five different Tigers scored to finish the half. Memphis had 10 assists on its 12 first-half field goals.

Murray State retook the lead at the 11:12 mark of the second half, 53-52, and the Tigers never led again.

Alex Lomax hit a 3-pointer with 21 seconds left that cut Murray State's lead to 72-70 and he followed with a steal on the next play, but he then missed a triple from the corner that would have given the Tigers the lead with just seconds remaining.

Memphis ended the game shooting 49.0 percent from the floor (25-51) and made eight of its 20 3-pointers (.400). The Tigers had 17 assists on 25 baskets but were outrebounded, 31-30.

UP NEXT
The Tigers remain home to face No. 9 Alabama Tuesday at 8 p.m. The game against the Crimson Tide is a White Out, and the first 5,000 fans will receive a white Memphis State t-shirt. Memphis then travels to Nashville next Saturday, Dec. 18, to play No. 13/14 Tennessee at Bridgestone Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 11 a.m.

Tickets and mini plans for 2021-22 are available online at www.GoTigersGoTix.com or by phone at (901) 678-2331.

POSTGAME NOTES

Memphis used the starting lineup of Earl Timberlake, Alex Lomax, Tyler Harris, Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren for the first time this season.
- Duren is now the only Tiger to start every game this season.
- Lomax and Harris last started together the first 10 games of the 2018-19 season as freshmen.
Memphis still leads the all-time series between the two schools, 34-28, including 24-12 in The Bluff City.
- The Racers have won back-to-back games against Memphis and three of the last four.
The game featured four ties and eight lead changes.
Memphis had not lost four-straight games since Feb. 2017.
Tyler Harris made three 3-pointers in the game, giving him 149 for his Memphis career.
- He moved past Jeremiah Martin (147, 2015-19) into ninth place on the Tigers' all-time list.
- He was playing in his 100th collegiate game (76 at Memphis, 24 at Iowa State in 2020-21).
- Harris has now led Memphis in scoring twice this season (18, vs. Saint Louis, 11/16).
- His four assists were a season high and one shy of his Memphis career high (vs. UAB, 12/8/18).
Jalen Duren has blocked at least one shot in each of Memphis' nine games this season.
- Duren was 5-of-6 from the floor, giving him four games of at least five field goals this year.
- His three assists set a season high.

How to follow the Tigers: For complete information on Memphis Tiger Men's Basketball, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.