Memphis bounced back from Sunday’s loss with a 10-point road win Thursday night over UAB. With the win, the Tigers return to .500 on the season, and they avoided losing back-to-back conference games for the second time this year.
Penny Hardaway went with the same starting lineup for the third straight game, and both teams struggled to get anything going in the first few minutes. Neither team scored until a minute and 30 seconds into the game, and the two teams were tied at four apiece at the under-16 media timeout.
The slow start continued until Sincere Parker checked in and gave Memphis a spark off the bench. The Tigers quickly extended their lead to 10 points, and they led by as many as 16 points before taking a nine-point lead into the break at halftime.
In the second half, Memphis never led by more than 14 points, and UAB even cut the lead down to one with 11:14 left in the game. Ultimately, the Tigers got the lead back up to double-digits in the final minute and won the game by 10 points.
As a team, Memphis shot 52.4 percent from the field, 40 percent from three and 76.2 percent from the free-throw line, and two players finished in double figures. The Tigers scored 38 points in the paint, and they grabbed 39 rebounds.
Defensively, Hardaway’s team allowed the Blazers to shoot 37.9 percent from the field and 24.3 percent from deep, and Andy Kennedy’s team shot only 60 percent from the free-throw line. While UAB struggled offensively, it thrived in chaos and scored 23 fast-break points, 25 points off turnovers and 17 second-chance points.
The Blazers also grabbed 39 rebounds, but they dominated the offensive glass, grabbing 16 offensive rebounds.
Sincere Parker has historic night
Parker came off the bench for Memphis, but he made the most of his opportunity and recorded 40 points, six rebounds and two assists in 26 minutes off the bench. The 40 points are a career-high for Parker and put him at fifth all-time in points per game in program history.
The McNeese transfer checked in and immediately made an impact, scoring 16 points in a four-minute span to take the Tigers’ lead from one point to 14 points when he checked back out. Parker returned after a quick break and finished the first half with 22 points.
Parker’s 40 points gave Memphis a massive boost, and it needed his spark to propel the team to a win. It’ll be interesting to see if Parker remains as an option off the bench or if Hardaway moves him into the starting lineup.
Aaron Bradshaw continues to impress
While Parker was the story of the night, Aaron Bradshaw had another impressive game and finished the game with 12 points, on 5-for-8 from the field, and six rebounds in 20 minutes.
Bradshaw has played much better in conference play, and he has finished with 10 or more points in the last five games and seven of the last eight games. The big man has also recorded six or more rebounds in four of his last five games, and he is averaging 12.3 points and six rebounds per game in the last eight games.
Bradshaw has turned a corner since the start of conference play, and he’s playing with a lot of confidence right now. The big man will have a size advantage in most games, and Hardaway will need him to continue his impressive play through the rest of conference play.
Hasan Abdul Hakim misses another game with an injury
Hasan Abdul Hakim missed a third straight game with an illness, and it’s unclear when he will return to the court. Abdul Hakim hasn’t played since the loss against Wichita State on January 24, and Hardaway said during the pregame show that he hasn’t seen him since that game.
While he hasn’t seen him, Hardaway said he has spoken to Abdul Hakim, but the UT Rio Grande Valley declined to go to the team facilities to be examined by the team doctors because he was too ill. This is the second time that Abdul Hakim has dealt with an illness this season after he didn’t travel to the Bahamas with the team due to a sickness earlier this year.
The guard has only played 13 games this season, after missing time with illness and a quad injury that kept him out in the preseason and through the first few games of the season. Abdul Hakim started the five games prior to his illness, but he struggled in the two road losses against Tulsa and Wichita State.