After coming off a road trip from Las Vegas, where they took on the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels, the Memphis Tigers got back into action when they hosted the Ohio Bobcats. The projected favorites to win the Mid-American Conference title this season did not have their leading scorer, Shereef Mitchell, for the second-straight game.
Once again, PJ Haggerty had another stellar outing. The former Tulsa Golden Hurricane led all Tiger scorers with 23 points in Friday’s 90-74 win over the Bobcats. But his teammate Tyrese Hunter wasn’t too far behind when he chipped in with 21 points, six assists, five rebounds, and four steals. Forward Nicholas Jourdain also made another solid contribution when he scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Unlike the previous two games, Memphis did not struggle going into the half. They led the Bobcats by five points.
Despite scoring surges from Ohio, Memphis stayed in control of the game. In the second half, the Tigers did what they had done in their previous matchups: adjust and dominate the opposing team. They got on a 23-6 run with 5:37 left in the second half to put the game away. There were moments of sloppiness in Friday’s game, with Memphis committing 14 turnovers, including six by Haggerty.
Coming off the bench, big man Mousse Cisse added nine points, five rebounds, and one block shot and played 20 minutes. Memphis continued their efficient shooting from beyond the arc when they shot 72.3%. Currently, Memphis leads the nation in three-point shooting with a 49.09% percentage.
“We played between exhibitions and regular seasons five different styles, which is good for us because it challenges us to understand what we have to do with different game plans. I am proud of the guys for being able to switch game plans on these five games and play at a high level.” Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway said in the game’s postgame press conference.
What Lies Ahead?
The Tigers will have five days of rest before they head to the West Coast to take on the San Francisco Dukes.
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