Quinerly's Game Winner Lifts No. 15 Memphis Past SMU, 62-59

Sunday, January 7

Memphis, Tenn.

4:00 PM

University of Memphis

13-2,2-0AAC

SMU

10-5,1-1AAC

SMU

Memphis

Quinerly's Game Winner Lifts No. 15 Memphis Past SMU, 62-59

Jan 07, 2024 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Down a dozen at the half, the 15^th-ranked University of Memphis men's basketball team rallied to down American Athletic Conference opponent SMU, 62-59, behind Jahvon Quinerly's game-winning triple inside FedExForum Sunday afternoon.

The victory extended Memphis' win streak to eight games, with six of them coming by six points or fewer.

Quinerly's game-winner, with three ticks left on the clock, was his second in as many games after he lifted the Tigers past Tulsa, 78-75, Thursday night on the road. The two shots, albeit one was a step-back and the other in-motion off a screen, were nearly from the same spot on the left wing.

After the Mustangs (10-5, 1-1 AAC) led for the first 31:41 of game time, the Tigers (13-2, 2-0) took their first advantage of the game with 8:19 remaining in the contest on a mid-range jumper by senior forward David Jones and never trailed after. Memphis limited the Mustangs to just 25.8-percent shooting in the second half.

SMU tied the game at 58-58 with 1:55 and neither team scored a point prior to Quinerly's triple.

Jones led the charge for the Tigers offensively, scoring 17 points, grabbing nine rebounds, dishing out four assists and picking a pair of steals. Of his game-high total, 11 came in the second half to help charge the gritty Memphis rally.

Senior guard Jaykwon Walton notched his second-consecutive double-digit effort with 10 points in the comeback win. Quinerly tallied all 11 of his points in the second half.

The Mustangs, who led by as many as 15 late in the first stanza dominated inside on the boards (25-9) and in the paint (24-12) throughout the first half to build a 15-point lead with 5:04 left in the half.

Memphis smothered SMU with its defense early in the second half, holding the Mustangs to just 2-of-18 shooting over a 12-plus minute stretch. The Tigers used that momentum to spark a 17-5 run that pulled the home team back even just seven minutes into the half.

Neither team led by more than six points the rest of the way and played the final 2:40 as a one-possession game before Quinerly's dagger. In the final two minutes, both teams had blocks down the stretch, including a stuff from Nicholas Jourdain at the rim that led to a jump ball with 12 seconds remaining.

SMU was led by Tyreek Smith's 12 points and seven rebounds in 21 minutes. No other Mustang reached double figures.

Memphis shot 44.2 percent for the game (23-52) and made just 6-of-20 from long range. The Mustangs entered the game with the nation's 2^nd-best field goal defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 36.2 percent and score 61.6 points per game.

SMU shot just 33.8 percent (22-65) on the night and only converted 3-of-21 from distance (14.3%).

UP NEXT
Memphis will be back at FedExForum Wednesday night when UTSA comes to town for a 7 p.m. tip on ESPN+.

POSTGAME NOTES

Memphis used the starting lineup of Jahvon Quinerly, David Jones, Jaykwon Walton, Nicholas Jourdain and Malcolm Dandridge for the fifth-straight game.
- The Tigers are 5-0 in that stretch and 7-0 overall on the season with that group.
Memphis' 44.2 field goal percentage was the second-highest total allowed by SMU this season.
- The 33.8-percent shooting by SMU was the third-lowest mark allowed by the Tigers.
The Tigers blocked a season high 10 shots, two more than their previous high against Michigan.
Memphis outscored SMU 38-23 in the second half, marking the third-fewest points the Tigers have allowed in a half this season.
Memphis got outscored in the paint for just the third time this season, 38-26.
- Texas A&M and VCU were the other two.
Jones led the team in scoring for the 11^th-straight game.
- His nine rebounds were also a team-high, the 10^th time this season he's paced the squad on the boards.
The Tigers totaled 13 assists and 16 turnovers.
- Quinerly and Jones led the team with four dimes each.
Jourdain swiped three of the team's six steals, matching his career high, and blocked a season-high four shots.
- He finished with four points, five rebounds, three steals and four blocks in 31 minutes.
Dandridge finished with nine points, five rebounds and three blocks.
The 15-point deficit was the 2^nd-largest by Memphis this season and the biggest since Villanova on Nov. 24.
There was one lead change and five ties.
SMU led for 28:18 and Memphis for 6:21.

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.