Memphis dropped its fourth straight game on Sunday in a 78-67 loss at home to UAB. Similar issues the plagued the Tigers again, and they now sit in a tie for 7th place in the American Conference with Temple.
Memphis jumped out to an early lead, but it was all Blazers after that. Andy Kennedy’s team shot 58.1 percent from the field and scored 46 points to take a 16-point lead into the break. On the other side, the Tigers struggled to get much going in the first half, and the two teams went into halftime with UAB controlling all the momentum.
In the second half, Memphis settled down and slowly started to chip away at the Blazers’ massive lead. Dug McDaniel scored 15 points early in the half to cut the lead to only three points, but the Tigers couldn’t do much after that.
Penny Hardaway’s team shot 45.8 percent from the field, 22.2 percent from deep and 64.3 percent from the free-throw line, and four players finished in double-figures. The Tigers only turned the ball over four times in the second half after 11 turnovers through the first 20 minutes, and they lost the rebounding battle 34-to-32.
The Blazers shot 45.8 percent from the field, 31.6 percent from deep and 72 percent from the free-throw line, and Chance Westry led the team with 23 points, six assists and five steals.
UAB capitalizes on massive first half
The Blazers found most of their success in the first half and built a 16-point lead going into halftime. Memphis led by four points with 13:50 left in the game, but UAB responded with a 10-0 run to take a six-point lead nearly three minutes later.
The Blazers also closed the first half on a 25-13 run. Evan Chatman led the team in the first half with 18 points, which surpassed his career high, and Westry added 14.
The Tigers struggled against UAB’s zone, turning the ball over 11 times in the first half, and they had trouble slowing down the Blazers’ three-point shooting, allowing them to shoot 46.2 percent from three. Despite the first half, Memphis looked a lot better in the second half, but it was tough to climb out of the hole it was in coming out of the half.
Aaron Bradshaw only played 48 seconds
Before Sunday’s game, Bradshaw was listed on the conference’s availability report as questionable after he suffered an injury against South Florida. Hardaway said during the pregame show that the big man would be a game-time decision, but when starters were announced, Bradshaw was in the starting five.
Bradshaw only played 48 seconds before being subbed out for William Whorton, and he never returned to the game. Since he was a game-time decision and gave it a go, it doesn’t appear that Bradshaw’s injury is something that could keep him out for a long period of time, but it will be interesting to see how Hardaway handles this situation.
Bradshaw has played well for the majority of conference play, and the Tigers would like to have him on the court, especially in the conference tournament.
Tigers struggle to close the game
Memphis battled back in the second half and cut the lead to three points in the second half. McDaniel played a major role, scoring 15 points and hitting back-to-back shots to make it a one-possession game.
After cutting the lead to three, UAB closed the game on a 14-6 run to secure an 11-point win. This isn’t anything new for the Tigers, who have struggled all season closing games.
With only a few games remaining before the conference tournament, Memphis must do a better job in the closing minutes and capitalize on these late-game possessions.