Tigers come up short in return to action in Tulsa

Memphis falls to Golden Hurricane after long layoff due to COVID- 19 cancellations

www.gotigersgo.com TULSA, Okla. – The Tulsa Golden Hurricane scored nine-straight points midway through the latter part of the second half, which ended up being the difference in a 58-57 win over the Memphis Tigers Sunday afternoon in Tulsa, Okla.

It was Memphis' first game since Dec. 29 after threestraight postponements due to COVID-19-related issues involving the Tigers' scheduled opponent.

Despite the loss, Memphis has now held three-straight conference opponents to fewer than 60 points for the first time since 2014.

Overall, the Tigers have limited five of their last nine conference foes to fewer than 60 points.

Memphis (6-5, 2-2 AAC) led by nine in the first half and for almost 30 minutes of the game, but Tulsa (8-4, 5-2 AAC) turned the tide as the second half went along. The Golden Hurricane are receiving votes in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll.

Landers Nolley II led Memphis with 13 points, all in the first half. Lester Quinones finished with 12 points, and Malcolm Dandridge had a career high 10 rebounds to go along with a season-hightying 10 points.

The Tigers led 32-26 at the break, thanks in part to an 8-0 run that created some breathing room. Holding a 16-15 lead with 7:48 left in the half, Memphis rattled off eight-in-a-row to make it 24-15 just over two minutes later. Nolley II hit two jumpers during the stretch, and DeAndre Williams and Jayden Hardaway added layups.

The Memphis defense also forced three Tulsa turnovers during the burst.

The Tigers shot 50.0 percent in the opening 20 minutes (13-26), and they had six steals on the defensive end. Memphis limited Tulsa to just 36.4 percent shooting in the first half (8-22).

Memphis led 49-45 with 7:36 to go, before the Golden Hurricane went on their 9-0 run to take a 54-49 lead with 4:04 to go in the game. After Dandridge slammed home two dunks to make the score 44-38, the Tigers went 9:21 without a field goal until Quinones hit a 3-pointer to bring the Tigers within two at 54-52.

Another Quinones triple brought the Tigers within two again at 57-55 with 1:12 remaining, and Tulsa's Elijah Joiner hit the frontend of a one-and-one with 59 seconds remaining to make it a three-point game. The Tigers committed a turnover on their next possession, but Dandridge came up big with a block on Tulsa's end of the floor.

Nolley II came down and missed a 3-pointer, but Williams grabbed the rebound and put back a layup to make it 58-57.

However Tulsa ran out the clock after a timeout to secure the win.

Joiner led all scorers with 16 points in the game.

Memphis finished the contest shooting 47.8 percent from the floor (22-46), and the Tigers held a 35-23 advantage on the boards.

Up next for Memphis is another road game. The Tigers finish up the week Sunday afternoon at East Carolina at 3 p.m.

Game Notes:

• Memphis used the starting lineup of Alex Lomax, Lester Quinones, D.J.

Jeffries, DeAndre Williams, and Moussa Cisse for the first time this season

• It was Memphis' sixth different starting lineup in 11 games this season.

• Lomax made his first start since the first three games of the season (Nov. 25-27) in the Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic in Sioux Falls, S.D.

• The series between the two teams is now 29-21 in favor of the Tigers, and Tulsa now leads 11-10 in games played in Oklahoma.

• Tulsa has won all six of the games played at the Reynolds Center since it joined the American Athletic Conference for the 2014-15 season.

• Landers Nolley II has now led the Tigers in scoring a team-high four times this season. He had 13 points in the first half alone, which was more than he scored in the last two games entirely and four of the last five games dating back to back-to-back 20-plus-point games against Arkansas State and Central Arkansas in early December.

• Malcolm Dandridge recorded Memphis' sixth double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The 10 boards are a new career high, bettering his previous career best of seven against Cincinnati on Jan. 16, 2020. Dandridge matched a season high with the 10 points (vs. Mississippi Valley State, Dec. 8).

• Lester Quinones added 12 points for the Tigers. He has now scored in double figures in 15 of his 22 career AAC games.

• Memphis committed a season-high 21 turnovers in the game, which led to 24 Tulsa points. The Tigers had 20 turnovers earlier this season against Tulsa (Dec. 21), as well as 20 against Central Arkansas (Dec. 4).

• The Tigers led at the half, 32-26. Memphis has now led at halftime nine times in 11 games this season and lost four of those (vs.

WKU, vs. Auburn, vs.

Tulsa, at Tulsa).