Tigers Ride Defensive Identity Into Sunday Showdown with UTSA

Sunday, January 18

Memphis, Tenn.

5:00 PM

University of Memphis

UTSA

Tigers Ride Defensive Identity Into Sunday Showdown with UTSA

Jan 17, 2026 | Men's Basketball

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Memphis Tigers look to build momentum Sunday evening as they host UTSA in an American Conference showdown inside FedExForum. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. with national coverage on ESPNU.

Memphis enters the weekend looking to string together a second-straight victory after a 55-53 win over Temple on Wednesday. The win improved the Tigers to 8-8 overall and 3-1 in conference play, keeping them within a half game of league leader Florida Atlantic in the early standings.

Sophomore guard Curtis Givens III paced Memphis against the Owls with 12 points, four rebounds and two steals, while Sincere Parker provided a spark off the bench with 10 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals. The victory also snapped Temple's seven-game winning streak and came on the heels of a focused response following a road loss at Florida Atlantic.

Head coach Penny Hardaway praised the team's defensive intensity in the Temple win, a performance that showed what has become a defining strength for the Tigers this season. Memphis currently ranks 28th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency and has been especially effective defending the three-point line. Opponents are shooting just 29.7 percent from deep (34^th in DI) against the Tigers, including an even more impressive 23.8 percent at FedExForum.

That defensive identity was on full display Wednesday, when Memphis held Temple to 2-for-19 shooting from three-point range (10.5 percent). The Owls entered the game ranked 22nd nationally in three-point shooting at 37.9 percent.

Sunday's matchup marks just the fourth all-time meeting between Memphis and UTSA. The Tigers have won both previous matchups played in Memphis, including a 78-72 victory on Dec. 20, 1993 and a 107-101 overtime win on Jan. 10, 2024.

GAME DETAILS
Memphis Tigers (8-8, 3-1 American) vs. UTSA Roadrunners (4-13, 0-5 American)
Sunday Jan. 18, 2026 | 5:00 PM CT
FedExForum (18,400); Memphis, Tenn.
Television: ESPNU (Mike Corey, pxp; Mark Adams, analyst)
Radio: 98.9 THE ROAR OF MEMPHIS (Dave Woloshin, pxp; Ken Moody, analyst)
Live Stats: www.Memphis.StatBroadcast.com

BY THE NUMBERS

2: Wins this season for Memphis when scoring fewer than 60 points, defeating North Texas (57-48) and Temple (55-53). It's the first time in at least the last decade that the Tigers have two such wins in the same season when scoring fewer than 60 points in a game.
8.1: Memphis has been stingy at home when defending the three-point line, especially in conference play. In two games against American Conference opponents at FedExForum, the Tigers have allowed just 8.1 percent shooting from deep (3-for-37) - North Texas (1-18), Temple (2-19).
10: Memphis already has 10 different players with at least 200 minutes played this season, tied with Charlotte for the most in the American Conference. This is the first time in the last 30 seasons that Memphis MBB had 10+ players with 200+ minutes played through the team's first 16 games of a season.
16: Straight home wins for the Tigers against American Conference opponents, dating back to a 74-71 loss to Rice on January 1, 2023. Memphis is 56-9 at home against league foes in eight seasons under Hardaway.
80: Since Penny Hardaway took over prior to the 2018-19 season, Memphis has consistently delivered in tight finishes. The Tigers rank 4th nationally with 80 wins in games decided by nine points or fewer, trailing only Kansas (82), Drake (81) and Virginia (81).
150-60: Memphis has totaled 152 steals and 68 blocks through 16 games this season. The only other time in the last 10 seasons the Tigers reached at least 150 steals and 60 blocks at this point was in 2022-23 (160 steals, 85 blocks).

SCOUTING THE ROADRUNNERS

UTSA enters Sunday's game with a 4-12 record, including 0-5 in the American.
The Roadrunners have lost 10-straight games after falling to Rice on Wednesday, 89-73, and carry a 1-6 record on the road this season.
Jamir Simpson is the only Roadrunner scoring in double-figures, averaging 15.9 points per game, good for eighth in the American. He's also eighth in the league in three-pointers per game (2.2), while adding 4.2 rebounds.
Austin Nunez is second on the team with 9.9 points. He leads the team with 2.4 assists and an 86.4 percent mark from the free throw line.
Dorian Hayes is third on the squad with 8.5 points, and freshman forward Kaidon Rayfield leads the team with 6.0 rebounds.
UTSA is scoring 68.5 points per game, while allowing 78.2.
The Roadrunners are connecting on 38.5% from the floor and just 28.6% from three. Their opponents are connecting on 42.9% from the floor and 34.1% from three.
UTSA is being outrebounded by the opposition, 41.6-to-37.9.
Head coach Austin Claunch is in his second season at the helm of the UTSA men's basketball program, where he has a 16-32 record. In seven seasons as a head coach, he is 106-93.

UP NEXT
Memphis continues American Conference play with a two-game road swing away from FedExForum. The Tigers visit Tulsa on Wednesday (Jan. 21) for a 7 p.m. tipoff on ESPN+, before traveling to Kansas to take on Wichita State on Saturday (Jan. 24) at 3 p.m. on ESPN2.

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.