Tigers Earn Signature Win with 69-59 Victory at No. 6/7 Houston

Saturday, February 12

Houston, Texas

2:30 p.m.

University of Memphis

14-8,8-4AAC

Houston

20-4,9-2AAC

Memphis

Houston

Photo by: University of Houston

Tigers Earn Signature Win with 69-59 Victory at No. 6/7 Houston

Feb 12, 2022 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

HOUSTON – The Memphis Tigers picked up a statement win with a 69-59 victory over No. 6/7 Houston Saturday afternoon in Houston. The win is Memphis' first on the road over a top-10 team since 2005, and the Tigers now have two top-10 wins on the year for the first time since 2013-14.

The Tigers also snapped Houston's 37-game home winning streak, which was the second-longest in the nation.

Memphis (14-8, 8-4 American Athletic Conference) has won five-straight games. Houston is now 20-4 overall and 9-2 in AAC action, and the Cougars have lost back-to-back games for the first time in five seasons.

Trailing 53-48 with 5:05 to play, the Tigers ripped off 15-straight points to take a 63-53 lead with 1:02 to go and effectively seal the win. DeAndre Williams and Lester Quinones drained back-to-back 3-pointers, Jalen Duren slammed home a dunk, and Williams made three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point try.

Alex Lomax and Landers Nolley II each made a pair of free throws after that, as the Tigers made all 13 of their free throws in the final 1:35. The Tigers missed their first free throw of the game before proceeding to make 18-in-a-row to close the contest.

Nolley II led the Tigers with 20 points, including four 3-pointers, and Duren logged his third-straight double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Williams, playing in front of a hometown crowd, had 13 points, four assists and three steals, and Lester Quinones was also in double figures with 13 points.

Memphis forced 19 Houston turnovers, two off its season high.

The Tigers trailed at the half, 31-28.

Houston was led by Taze Moore and Fabian White Jr.'s 15 points apiece.

UP NEXT
The Tigers remain on the road at Cincinnati Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+ and at SMU next Sunday, Feb. 20, at 2 p.m. on ESPN. Memphis returns to FedExForum to face Temple on Thursday, Feb. 24 and Wichita State on Sunday, Feb. 27.

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 Alex Lomax, Lester Quinones, Landers Nolley II, DeAndre Williams and Jalen Duren for the first time this season.
- Memphis has used 16 different starting lineups in 22 games this season, which is the most in the nation.
Memphis last top-10 road win came at No. 9 Louisville on Feb. 9, 2005, 85-68.
- The Tigers had lost six-straight since.
Memphis now leads the all-time series between the two schools, 34-20.
- The Tigers have a 13-10 advantage in games played in Houston.
- The Memphis win snapped Houston's three-game winning streak in the series.
The Tigers have won nine-straight games in February and are 18-7 in the month under head coach Penny Hardaway.
Memphis is now 2-5 this season when trailing at halftime.
- The other win was its last road win, coming back to win at Tulsa on Jan. 23 after trailing at the half, 46-33.
Joining Memphis' win over No. 6/8 Alabama on Dec. 14, Memphis now has two top-10 wins in the same season for first time since 2013-14 (No. 5 Oklahoma State, No. 7 Louisville).
Memphis shot a season best 94.7 percent from the free throw line (18-19).
- The Tigers now have six games this season shooting at least 80.0 percent from the line with at least 15 attempts.
- Memphis accomplished the feat just once last season and four times total in 2019-20.
Landers Nolley II scored a season high 20 points and made four of his five 3-point tries.
- Nolley II was 3-for-19 from distance in his last five games.
Jalen Duren had 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting and 11 rebounds for his third-consecutive double-double.
- Duren leads the team with five double-doubles this year.
- He has also scored in double figures in five-straight games.
Lester Quinones finished in double figures for the fourth-straight game for the first time this season and third time in his career.
- Quinones also had four-straight double-figure games in his freshman season of 2019-20 and at the start of his sophomore campaign of 2020-21.
The Tigers are 27-9 when DeAndre Williams plays, compared to 7-7 when he does not.
Alex Lomax had a team-high six assists in the game.
- Memphis is 25-6 when he has at least five assists in a game.

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.