Memphis picked up its second road win of the season Thursday night with a 10-point win over UAB.
The Tigers entered the game losers of three of their last four games, but they looked like one of the better teams in the conference at times during Thursday’s game. Memphis shared the ball, recording 15 assists, and most players were trying to get the ball to Sincere Parker, who looked like one of the best players in the conference.
Parker came off the bench and immediately made an impact as a scorer. The McNeese transfer entered the game and scored 16 points in a four-minute span, and it didn’t stop there.
Parker scored 22 points in 12 minutes in the first half, and it was clear that he was going to be the Tigers’ go-to guy most of the night. The guard finished the game with a career-high 40 points, shooting 14-for-20 from the field, and he added six rebounds, two assists and a steal.
While Parker had a massive game, he was one of four players listed on the availability report before the game. Parker joined Hasan Abdul Hakim, Curtis Givens III and Ashton Hardaway on the report.
Parker and Givens both played and recorded 26 or more minutes, while Abdul Hakim and Hardaway both missed the game. Zach Davis also didn’t log any minutes, but his name didn’t appear on the status report, which indicates his absence was a coach’s decision by Penny Hardaway.
Before the game, Hardaway said that Abdul Hakim would miss another game with an illness and added that he has heard from him but hasn’t seen him since he got sick. The UT Rio Grande Valley transfer hasn’t played since the Wichita State game, which was nearly two weeks ago.
Hardaway elected to use the same starting lineup he has used over the last two games, rolling with Dug McDaniel, Quante Berry, Julius Thedford, Simon Majok and Aaron Bradshaw. Four of the five starters played 20 or more minutes, but Majok only played four minutes and only attempted one shot.
While Parker was the biggest story of the game, Bradshaw also made a massive impact, and he was the only other Tiger to finish in double-figures. Bradshaw recorded 12 points, on 5-for-8 shooting, and added six rebounds and two assists.
The big man has now recorded 10 or more points in five straight and seven of the last eight games, and he’s recorded six or more rebounds in four of the last five games.
While Memphis won the game by double-digits, UAB hung around most of the night. With 9:35 left in the first half, the Tigers took a 16-point lead, but with 10:27 left in the second half, the Blazers cut the lead to one point.
Hardaway’s team quickly responded with a 9-0 run to take a double-digit lead with 8:08 left in the game. After that, UAB never got closer than seven points, and the Tigers recorded a 10-point victory.
As a team, Memphis shot 52.4 percent from the field, 40 percent from deep and 76.2 percent from the free-throw line. The Tigers scored 38 points in the paint, and scored 90 points for the third time this season.
Defensively, the Tigers held UAB to 37.9 percent from the field and 24.3 percent from deep, and the Blazers shot only 60 percent from the free-throw line. Andy Kennedy’s team scored most of their points by causing chaos, scoring 23 points on the fast break and 25 points off turnovers.
UAB also had a balanced attack, and five players finished in double-figures. Leading scorer Chance Westry led the team with 15 points, while Salim London and Daniel Rivera combined for 14 points off the bench.
Both teams grabbed 39 rebounds, but the Blazers dominated the offensive rebounding category, grabbing 16 offensive rebounds, and they turned those rebounds into 17 second-chance points.
With the win, Memphis improves to 11-11, and they’ll return to FedExForum on Sunday to host Charlotte. The 49ers enter the game with a 13-10 record, and they’re coming off their second loss in conference play.