Memphis Upends UCF, 81-76, in AAC Tournament

Friday, March 10

Fort Worth, Texas / Dickies Arena

6:00 PM

University of Memphis

24-8,13-5AAC

(7) UCF

18-14,8-10AAC

UCF

Memphis

Mar 10, 2023 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

FORT WORTH, Texas – Friday night at Dickies Arena was one for the record books as the No. 2-seeded Memphis men's basketball team defeated No. 7 UCF, 81-76, in the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference championship.

The Tigers improve to 24-8 on the season and advance to the semifinals to face No. 3 Tulane at 4 p.m. Saturday for a trip to the AAC title game.

Memphis has won 12 of its last 15 games to give the program its most victories in a season since also winning 24 in 2013-14.

DeAndre Williams and Kendric Davis were the headliners, as the duo combined to score 84 percent of the Tigers' points against the Knights. Williams finished two points shy of his career high with 35 points while grabbing 13 rebounds. Davis added 33 points, seven assists and three blocks.

They are the first Memphis teammates with 30 points in the same game since Larry Finch (34) and Don Holcomb (31) on Jan. 8, 1971.

After a slow start from Memphis to start the game, the two sides traded buckets to a 24-22 score with 6:40 to play in the first half. From there, Williams knocked down a pair of three-pointers to help send the Tigers into the break with a 40-30 advantage.

Williams (18) and Davis (12) combined for 30 points, seven boards and eight dimes in the first half.

The Tigers struggled on the glass all night and UCF knocked down five triples to start cutting into the deficit.

A 9-2 spurt gave UCF a 50-49 lead with 11:21 remaining, but Davis stepped up and nailed back-to-back threes to push the Tigers back in front for good en route to the 81-76 win.

From the 15-minute mark in the second half until 18 seconds left in the game, Davis and Williams combined to score 38-consecutive points for Memphis.

The Tigers shot 47.5 percent in the game (28-59) and 47.4 percent from deep (9-19).

UCF (18-14) was led by C.J. Kelly's 28 points, seven rebounds and three assists in 35 minutes.

UP NEXT
With the victory, Memphis will face No. 3 Tulane on Saturday, March 11 at 4 p.m. on ESPN2 in the semifinals of the American Conference Championship in Fort Worth.

POSTGAME NOTES

Memphis used the starting lineup of Kendric Davis, DeAndre Williams, Elijah McCadden, Chandler Lawson and Malcolm Dandridge for the first time this season.
- Memphis has used eight different starting lineups in the 32 games this season.
- The Tigers are now 10-8 all-time in the AAC Tournament.
Memphis leads the all-time series with UCF, 30-8.
- That includes a 3-1 advantage at neutral sites.
- The Tigers also knocked out the Knights in the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament the previous two seasons.
Davis and Williams are the first duo to score 30 points each in a game in AAC Tournament history.
- They are also the fourth duo in Division I to achieve the feat this season.
- Malik Miller & Isaiah Burke (Morgan State), Brendan Adams & James Bishop (George Washington), Tre Jackson & Vonterius Woolbright (Western Carolina).
Memphis shot 80.0 percent from the free throw line (16-20).
- The Tigers have had nine games this season shooting at least 80.0 percent from the line after at least 15 attempts.
- Memphis has 17 games this season with at least 16 makes at the stripe.
DeAndre Williams was 14-for-23 from the floor en route to his 35-point showing, and three of his 13 rebounds came on the offensive end.
- Williams' only other 30-point game of his career came Dec. 7, 2019 when he was a member of the Evansville Aces on the night he scored a career high 37.
- The double-double is his ninth of the year and first since Feb. 4 against Tulane.
- He has scored in double figures in 27 of the last 28 games.
- The Houston, Texas native drained a career high four three-pointers (4-6).
Kendric Davis hit a season-best five 3-pointers to help lead to his 33 points on 10-of-16 shooting.
- It marks his fourth game of the season with 30 points and the eighth of his career.
- He averaged 28.3 points in three games against the Knights this season despite playing only 14 minutes in the previous meeting in Memphis.
- The point guard has reached double digits in 22-straight games and has scored 20-plus in four straight.
- Davis has eclipsed 20 or more points in 13 of his last 15 games.
- Friday's showing was his 11^th game of the season dishing at least seven assists.
- He had previously made four 3-pointers in a game just once this season against Wichita State on Jan. 19.
The All-AAC first-team duo combined to make 24 of the team's 28 field goals. Four other players each made one bucket.

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