Tigers Title Game Bound After Smothering Green Wave in AAC Semifinals

Saturday, March 11

Fort Worth, Texas / Dickies Arena

4:00 PM

University of Memphis

25-8,13-5AAC

(3) Tulane

20-11,12-6AAC

Tulane

Memphis

Tigers Title Game Bound After Smothering Green Wave in AAC Semifinals

Mar 11, 2023 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

FORT WORTH, Texas – Memphis men's basketball head coach Penny Hardaway had been asking his team to lock in for the full 40 minutes all year. Saturday night, they did just that and showcased to the nation what is possible when they do.

The second-seeded Tigers routed No. 3 Tulane, 94-54, in the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference Championship at Dickies Arena to earn their second-straight trip to the title game.

It is the second-largest margin of victory in postseason play for the Tigers in program history (Mar. 7, 1986 vs South Carolina, W 100-59).

Memphis (25-8) will now play for the AAC Tournament crown Sunday afternoon against top-seeded Houston. The Tigers won five of their last six games and now have their most wins in a season since going 31-5 a decade ago in their final Conference USA season before moving to the AAC in 2013-14.

The Tigers saw contributions from their entire roster, but for the second-straight night, DeAndre Williams was an unstoppable force. The fifth-year forward posted another double-double with a game-high 27 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block. Kendric Davis added 20 points, five rebounds and six assists.

Elijah McCadden scored eight points, grabbed six rebounds and dished three assists. Jayden Hardaway finished with eight points and four rebounds in 17 minutes.

Damaria Franklin had eight points and seven boards in 18 minutes off the bench, while Chandler Lawson contributed eight points and Malcolm Dandridge six.

Tulane opened the game hitting four of its first six shots, building a 10-5 advantage over the Tigers. From that point on, though, it was all Big Memphis.

Chandler Lawson and McCadden scored the next seven points and the Tigers defense locked in.

They held the Green Wave to only two made field goals over the final 16 minutes (2-for-25) and roared into the locker room with a 42-17 lead after Chandler Lawson sank a three-pointer at the buzzer.

The Tigers nailed six triples in the first half and locked Tulane down to just 19.4-percent from the field (6-31). Williams led the way with 13 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals.

All-AAC first team selections Jalen Cook and Jaylen Forbes got Tulane back to within 18 after combining for 12 quick points, but the Tigers started dialing up the long ball and outscored the Green Wave 42-20 the rest of the way.

Memphis hit 19 of its 21 free throws (.904), drained a season-high 13 threes, outrebounded Tulane 51-41 and outscored the Green Wave 24-5 off the bench.

Tulane (20-11) was led by Jalen Cook's 15 points.

Memphis limited the Green Wave to their season low in points scored (54) and field goal percentage (.258) and held them to their second-lowest mark from three-point range (.185).

The Tigers shot 44.9 percent from the field (31-69), 43.3 percent from long distance (13-30) and 90.5 percent from the free throw line. Their 94 points scored, 51 rebounds and nine blocked shots were the highest-totals allowed this season by the Tulane defense.

POSTGAME NOTES

Memphis used the starting lineup of Kendric Davis, DeAndre Williams, Chandler Lawson, Elijah McCadden and Jayden Hardaway for the fifth time this season.
- Memphis is 4-1 with that starting five.
The Tigers are now 11-8 all-time in the AAC Tournament.
Memphis leads the all-time series with Tulane, 61-14.
- That includes a 4-0 advantage at neutral sites and a perfect 10-0 mark in postseason action.
- The Tigers last knocked out the Green Wave in the quarterfinal round of the 2016 AAC tournament in Orlando.
Memphis is 22-2 when leading at half this season.
DeAndre Williams paced the Tigers in scoring for the 13^th game this season with 27 points.
- He logged his 10^th double-double of the season and his 20^th-career game with 20 points.
- His recorded his team-high 11^th-game of the year with double digit rebounds and seventh with three or more steals.
- Williams is averaging 31.0 points, 12.0 rebounds. 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals in the AAC Championship while shooting 57.5 percent from the floor (23-40), 60.0 percent from distance (6-10) and 83.3 percent from the line (10-12).
Kendric Davis was near the top of the Memphis scoresheet with 20 points.
- He has been in double figures in seven of the last nine games.
- The point guard has reached double digits in 23-straight games and has scored 20-plus in five straight.
- Davis has eclipsed 20 or more points in 14 of his last 16 games.
- Saturday's showing was his 17^th game of the season dishing at least six assists.
- Davis is averaging 26.5 points, 6.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game in Fort Worth. He's shooting 47.1 percent overall (16-34), 56.3 percent from three (9-16) and 92.3 percent at the stripe (12-13).
Of the 12 players who saw the floor for Memphis, 11 reached the scoring column, 10 grabbed a rebound and nine dished an assist.
Conor Glennon saw the floor for the first time this season and put on a show in three minutes.
- He dished two assists, his first since Feb. 24, 2022 against Temple, including a no-look pass to Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu for an emphatic slam in the final minutes.
Ian Granja scored his first-career points as a Tigers with a three-pointer in four minutes of action.
Damaria Franklin grabbed a season high seven rebounds and scored eight points in a game for the eighth time.

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.
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