Tigers win fifth-straight, first at Cincinnati since 2007

Sunday, February 28

Cincinnati, Ohio

Noon

University of Memphis

14-6,10-3AAC

Cincinnati

9-9,7-6AAC

Memphis

Cincinnati

Photo by: Cincinnati Athletics

Tigers win fifth-straight, first at Cincinnati since 2007

Feb 28, 2021 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

CINCINNATI, Ohio – Five Memphis Tigers were in double figures, and despite being tested down the stretch the team never trailed in picking up their fifth-straight win and eighth in the last nine, 80-74, at Cincinnati Sunday afternoon in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The win snapped Memphis' seven-game losing streak in games played in Cincinnati. The Tigers' last win in The Queen City was on Dec. 19, 2007.

With the victory, Memphis (14-6, 10-3 AAC) secured its fourth-straight 10-win season in conference play. The Tigers have won at least 10 American Athletic Conference games in all three seasons under head coach Penny Hardaway.

Memphis has now won 10-plus conference games 18 times in the 2000s.

Boogie Ellis led the Tigers with 17 points, and Landers Nolley II had 14. DeAndre Williams jammed the stat sheet with 10 points, a career-high 10 assists, and seven rebounds, and Malcolm Dandridge had a career-high 14 points in 18 big minutes off the bench.

Moussa Cisse added 11 points and seven rebounds.

Leading 73-63 with 45 seconds to play, the Tigers fended off a furious Cincinnati rally to secure the win. The Bearcats rattled off eight-straight points in 28 seconds to come within two at 73-71.

But Damion Baugh hit two free throws to put Memphis back up two possessions, and after two Cincinnati free throws brought it within two again, Ellis split a pair from the charity stripe to make it 76-73 with 14 ticks left.

On the next possession Cincinnati's Keith Williams was fouled, and he missed the first but made the second to pull the Bearcats within two once again, 76-74, with 14 seconds left.

After a Cincinnati (9-9, 7-6 AAC) foul, Memphis' Williams calmly nailed two free throws to again make it a two-possession game in favor of the Tigers, 78-74, and Ellis sealed the deal with two more free throws.

The Tigers finished with 22 assists on their 30 field goals.

Memphis committed just six second-half turnovers and made 10 of its 13 free throws in the second 20 minutes.

To start, the Tigers took a nine-point lead into the half, their largest of the first 20 minutes, despite Cincinnati coming within three points at 30-27 with 5:11 to play. Both teams went on a three-plus minute scoring drought after that, but Cisse scored the final six points of the half to put the Tigers ahead, 36-27.

Memphis forced Cincinnati to miss its last eight shots of the first half after it pulled within one possession.

Up Next
The Tigers remain on the road and head to Tampa, Fla., to play USF Tuesday night at 8 p.m. CT on ESPNU. The regular season concludes next Sunday, March 7, at Houston, which was moved from being played FedExForum in Memphis. Houston is currently in second place in the AAC at 12-3, just winning percentage points behind conference-leading Wichita State at 9-2. Tip-off at Houston will be at 11 a.m., and the game will be televised on CBS.

Information on tickets for the 2021 Air Force Reserve AAC Men's Basketball Championship, scheduled for March 11-14 in Fort Worth, Texas, will be forthcoming from the Memphis Ticket Office. Questions or requests for additional information may be directed to the Ticket Office at (901) 678-2331 or tigertickets@memphis.edu.

Postgame Notes

Memphis used the starting lineup of Boogie Ellis, Lester Quinones, Landers Nolley II, DeAndre Williams, and Moussa Cisse for the fifth-straight game.
- When it was used for the first time before Memphis' game against UCF on Feb. 1, it became the Tigers' eighth different starting lineup in the first 16 games of the season.
The Tigers' current five-game winning streak is their second since 2016-17.
- The other was a 10-game winning streak last season.
Memphis extended its streak of holding opponents to 75 points or fewer to 27-straight games.
- The last time Memphis did not was at Cincinnati on Feb. 13, 2020.
- That game was a 92-86 Cincinnati win in overtime.
Boogie Ellis led Memphis in scoring for the second-straight game, scoring 17 points.
- He hit four 3-pointers, his most since going 6-for-7 from distance in the first game of the season against Saint Mary's on Nov. 25.
- He now has seven 3-pointers in the last two games.
- Ellis grabbed seven rebounds, a season high and one shy of his career high of eight against Georgia on Jan. 4, 2020.
Landers Nolley II ended with 14 points.
- He has been in double digits six times in the last seven games.
DeAndre Williams finished three rebounds shy of a triple-double with 10 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds.
- The 10 assists are a career high, bettering the seven he had against Murray State on Dec. 21, 2019 while playing for Evansville.
Malcolm Dandridge added a career-high 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting.
- His previous career high was 12 against Houston on Feb. 22, 2020.
Moussa Cisse had his first double-figure scoring game in the last six outings, adding 11 points to go along with seven rebounds.