Tigers Take On No. 2 UConn in Opening Round of Maui Invitational

LAHAINA, HAWAII – The University of Memphis Tiger men's basketball team opens the 40^th Maui Invitational with a big task at hand taking on #2/2 UConn in the first round. Tip-off is slated for 1:30 p.m. CT with coverage available on ESPN2.

For the second straight season, Memphis has started the year a perfect 4-0 after completing its third come from behind victory of the season with a 68-64 win over San Francisco inside Chase Center.

Dain Dainja led the team with 18 points off the bench while going 6-10 from the field and adding in seven rebounds, three blocks and two steals. PJ Haggerty added in 13 points as the team nearly missed its fourth 50-point second half of the year (46).

Through the first four games of the year, Haggerty (22.5), Tyrese Hunter (13.3), Colby Rogers (11.0) and Dainja (10.0) are all averaging double-figure scoring with the team ranking third in the country in three-point field goal percentage (.459).

Monday's game will be the highest-ranking opponent Memphis has faced since winning against #1/1 Houston in the 2022-23 American Athletic Conference Championship Game.

GAME DETAILS
Memphis Tigers (4-0) vs. #2/2 UConn Huskies (4-0)
Monday, Nov. 25, 2024 | 1:30 p.m. CT
Lahaina Civic Center (2,400); Lahaina, Hawaii // Maui Invitational
Television: ESPN2 (Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas)
Radio: 98.9 The Roar of Memphis (Dave Woloshin, pxp; Matt Dillon, analysis)
Live Stats: www.Memphis.StatBroadcast.com

BY THE NUMBERS

14: Redshirt sophomore guard PJ Haggerty is currently second in the conference and ranks 14^th in Division I with 22.5 points per game.
8.1: Percent of Memphis' returning scoring production from last season, which includes none of their top six scorers. The Tigers bring back only 209 of their 2,574 total points from 2023-24.
72.2: Percent the Tigers shot from beyond the arc against Ohio to set a new program record (13-18).
50: The number of points Memphis has scored in the second half in its three games to start the season (Mizzou-51, UNLV-50, Ohio-51).
3: Programs in the nation that have won at least 18 games in each of the last 23 seasons starting 2000-01 (Memphis, Kansas, Gonzaga).
45.9: Memphis currently ranks third in the nation with a 45.9 percent three-point average.

LAST TIME OUT

The Tigers are coming off their third come from behind victory this season after a 46-point second half over San Francisco to take the 68-64 win.
Dain Dainja came off the bench to lead the team with a season-high 18 points while adding in seven rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
PJ Haggerty was the only other Tiger in double-digit scoring with 13 points, seven of them coming from the free throw line.

SERIES HISTORY VS. UCONN

Monday's game will be the 17^th overall meeting between the Tigers and Huskies with the series tied at eight wins each.
As former members of the American Athletic Conference, UConn and Memphis are no stranger to one another.
The last meeting between the two teams came in 2020 where UConn edged by Memphis with a 64-61 victory in Hartford.

SCOUTING THE UCONN HUSKIES

Coming in at No. 2 in this week's rankings, the back-to-back reigning National Champions come into the Maui Invitational 4-0.
Four Huskies are averaging double figures while Tarris Reed Jr. is nearly averaging a double-double (11.8 pts, 9.8 reb.).
Dating back to Hardaway's first season at Memphis, the Tigers lead the all-time series against UConn 2-1 with the last Memphis win coming back in Feb. 2020 (70-63).

UP NEXT
Memphis will play either Colorado or Michigan State on Tuesday in the second round of the Maui Invitational. Full bracket with times can be found HERE.

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.

Tigers Take On No. 2 UConn in Opening Round of Maui Invitational

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Dain Dainja

PJ Haggerty

Tyrese Hunter

Colby Rogers

Tigers Take On No. 2 UConn in Opening Round of Maui Invitational

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Dain Dainja

PJ Haggerty

Tyrese Hunter

Colby Rogers

Related Videos