Tigers Push No. 1 Purdue to the Brink in Baha Mar Battle

Thursday, November 20

Nassau, Bahamas

5:00 PM

University of Memphis

1-3,0-0American

#1/1 Purdue

5-0,0-0Big Ten

Memphis

Purdue

Tigers Push No. 1 Purdue to the Brink in Baha Mar Battle

Nov 20, 2025 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

NASSAU, Bahamas - Memphis entered Thursday night's matchup with No. 1 Purdue as a heavy underdog. What the Tigers delivered instead was their most inspired performance of the young season, one that fell just short in an 80-71 loss in the opening round of the Baha Mar Championship.

Purdue (5-0) knocked down 11 three-pointers and made the key plays late to pull away, but not before Memphis (1-3) led for more than 15 minutes and held a 64-63 advantage with 6:37 remaining. The Tigers' upset bid unraveled moments later when center Aaron Bradshaw was assessed a technical foul after an exchange with Oscar Cluff that sent Bradshaw face down on the floor. Following a review, the technical stood and Bradshaw fouled out with 7:54 to play. Purdue closed the game on a decisive 17-7 run.

Senior point guard Dug McDaniel was outstanding, posting 18 points, six assists, six rebounds and just one turnover. Zach Davis, making his first start as a Tiger, added 11 points. Sincere Parker and Tariq Ingraham each scored 10, and Julius Thedford gave Memphis strong minutes off the bench with five rebounds.

The Tigers punched first, racing to a 13-4 lead behind early 3-pointers from McDaniel, Davis and Ashton Hardaway. Purdue answered with a 17-4 run of its own, but Memphis refused to wilt, even after a banked-in, off-balance 3-pointer from All-American point guard Braden Smith at the halftime buzzer put the Boilermakers ahead 36-35.

Memphis opened the second half with five quick points and forced Purdue into eight consecutive misses during one stretch, showcasing the grit that Penny Hardaway's become accustomed to seeing from his squads.

But a late offensive drought kept Memphis from building on its advantage, and Purdue's experience with big shots from the outside swung the momentum. After the Tigers held a 64-61 lead with 7:01 remaining, the Boilermakers closed strong, hitting seven of their final 12 attempts while Memphis managed just two of its last 14.

Despite the loss, Memphis scored 38 points in the paint, grabbed 15 offensive rebounds and held Smith, a preseason All-American, to five points on 2-for-14 shooting. It was his second fewest points scored in the last two seasons, and the lowest since Nov. 23, 2024 against Marshall (0).

Fletcher Loyer paced the Boilermakers with 20 points, while Trey Kaufman-Renn added 12 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out late. C.J. Cox supplied four 3-pointers and 18 points, part of a long-range barrage that proved to be the difference.

The Tigers move into Friday's consolation game, where they will face Wake Forest (6 p.m. CT, CBS Sports Network).

POSTGAME NOTES:

Memphis rolled out a new starting lineup against Purdue: Dug McDaniel, Zach Davis, Ashton Hardaway, Aaron Bradshaw and Simon Majok.
- It was the team's third different starting five this season.
Despite the loss, Memphis still leads the all-time series 5-2. It was Purdue's first win over the Tigers since 1988.
Senior point guard Dug McDaniel delivered a season-high 18 points, six rebounds and six assists in 30 minutes.
- He went 7-of-15 from the field and committed just one turnover. Eleven of his points came after halftime.
Senior guard Zach Davis made his first start of the season and added 11 points, three assists and two rebounds in 28 minutes.
Graduate forward Tariq Ingraham turned in his best outing of the year with 10 points and three rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench.
Senior guard Sincere Parker contributed 10 points and five boards in 18 minutes.
Freshman center Simon Majok, in his first collegiate start, finished with five points and a team-high seven rebounds in 28 minutes.
- He and Julius Thedford shared the team lead with four offensive rebounds each.
Ashton Hardaway and Aaron Bradshaw each scored seven points, combining to shoot 6-of-10 from the floor.
Memphis posted nine assists to 12 turnovers and, despite the setback, won the battles in second-chance points (17-8), fast-break points (22-14) and bench points (23-14).
Defensively, the Tigers recorded five steals and four blocks. Purdue finished with six steals and three blocks.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE TIGERS:
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