Memphis entered Sunday’s game looking for some good momentum at home, but it fell into an early hole and couldn’t make enough shots down the stretch to finish the comeback against UAB. Turnovers and missed shots plagued the Tigers in the first half, leading to a 78-67 loss to the Blazers.
The American released its player availability report earlier Sunday morning, and Aaron Bradshaw was the only player who appeared on it. The big man was listed as questionable after suffering an elbow injury on Thursday against South Florida, but he appeared in the starting lineup.
Despite starting the game, Bradshaw was subbed out nearly 30 seconds into the game and never returned. With Bradshaw out, Penny Hardaway relied on Simon Majok, Tariq Ingraham and William Whorton to fill the void, but all three struggled to get much going.
The Tigers jumped out to an early four-point lead, but UAB responded with a 10-0 run halfway through the first half. The Blazers couldn’t miss from deep, and they finished the first half 6-for-13 from three-point range.
Evan Chatman was the story of the first half. He finished the half with 18 points, surpassing his career high, and went 7-for-8 from the field and 4-for-4 from long range. Chance Westry added 14 points, on 5-for-5 from the field, and added six assists and five steals.
UAB closed the first half on a 25-9 run and led by 16 points at the break. The Tigers struggled to get anything going offensively, shooting 42.9 percent from the field, and they turned the ball over 11 times.
On the other side, the Blazers shot 58.1 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from deep, and they scored 12 points off Memphis’ 11 turnovers.
Andy Kennedy’s team extended their lead to 19 points with a quick 5-2 run to start the second half. Despite the success in the first half, UAB struggled making three-pointers in the second half and went 0-for-6 from deep over the final 20 minutes.
After the quick run by the Blazers, the Tigers settled down and started chipping away at the lead.
After trading baskets, Memphis went on a 12-0 run to make it a six-point game, and a few minutes later, the deficit was down to three. Dug McDaniel played a massive role in the comeback, and he recorded 15 points and only one turnover in the second half.
Following an impressive run by the Tigers, the Blazers closed the game on a 14-six run, and they held Memphis to only three field goals in the final seven minutes. As time started running out, frustrations set in for the Tigers, and Julius Thedford was ejected after saying something to one of the referees.
As a team, the Tigers shot 45.8 percent from the field, 22.2 percent from deep and 64.3 percent from the free-throw line. Four players finished in double figures, and McDaniel led the team with 19 points, three assists and a steal.
Memphis finished the game with 15 turnovers and only nine assists, and the team was out-rebounded 34-to-32. Hardaway continues to limit the roster, and only seven players played 15 or more minutes.
On the other side, the Blazers shot 45.8 percent from the field, 31.6 percent from deep and 72 percent from the free-throw line, and three players finished with double-figures. Chance Westry led the team with 23 points, six assists and five steals, while Chatman added 22 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three blocks and three steals.
UAB grabbed 11 offensive rebounds and turned them into six second-chance points. The Blazers also turned Memphis’ 15 turnovers into 17 points off turnovers.
With the loss, the Tigers drop to 12-15 on the season, and they’ll enter Thursday night’s game against Wichita State on a four-game losing streak. The Shockers beat Memphis by 15 points in Wichita earlier this season, and they’ll enter the game winners of eight of their last 10 games.