In a game that looked similar at times to recent outings, Memphis couldn’t get anything going Thursday night in a 87-66 loss against USF. The Tigers dropped another road game and lost their first game inside the Yuengling Center since 2019.
Curtis Givens III was the only player to appear on the American Conference’s player availability report, appearing as questionable shortly before the game. Despite being listed, Givens played and started, and Penny Hardaway used the same starting lineup that he used in the previous two games.
The Tigers got out to a strong start, and they led by six points nearly six minutes into the game. Both teams found early success behind the arc, and the two teams combined to shoot 7-for-8 from deep to start the game.
After taking the early lead, Memphis went ice-cold from the field and struggled to get much going in the first half. The Tigers went more than 12 minutes without a made field goal, and Aaron Bradshaw sat most of the first half with a pair of fouls after recording 10 points and two rebounds in only six minutes of action.
On the other side, USF got into a groove and went on a pair of runs. The Bulls went on an 11-2 run to take a three-point lead with 10 minutes remaining in the first half, and a few minutes later rattled off a 13-0 run to take complete control of the game.
Hardaway’s team trailed by 16 points at the half, and they shot 25 percent from the field and 41.7 percent on 12 three-point attempts. Julius Thedford led the team at the break with 11 points, and he made three of the team’s eight field goals, including the final two to snap the drought.
The second half started with a lot of the same, and the Bulls went on a quick 6-0 run to extend their lead to 22 points. Bradshaw returned to the game to start the second half, but just seconds into play, the big man went down with an arm injury and exited the game.
Bradshaw returned nearly three minutes later, but he only played nine minutes total in Tampa. He finished the game with 12 points and four rebounds, but he couldn’t stay on the court due to fouls and an injury.
USF got its lead up to 23 points before Memphis started chipping away, and Hardaway’s team cut the lead to 12 points following a 9-1 run. After the quick spurt, Hodgson called a timeout and settled his team, and the Bulls settled on a 21-point victory.
Similar to the game against North Texas, USF was the far more aggressive team, and the Tigers struggled to stop them without fouling. The Bulls attempted 35 free throws and converted on 85.7 percent of them.
Hodgson’s team also dominated the boards and won the rebounding battle 52-to-39, including 22 offensive rebounds. USF scored 18 second-chance points and 28 points in the paint.
As a team, the Bulls shot 36.4 percent from the field and 30 percent from deep, and four players finished the game in double-figures. Junior Wes Enos led the team with 20 points and five rebounds, while Joseph Pinion, who scored 22 points against Memphis last season, finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
Izaiyah Nelson also had a massive outing, and he ended the night with 17 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks.
For the Tigers, three players finished in double-figures, and Julius Thedford led the team with 13 points and five rebounds. As a team, they shot 32.8 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from three-point range and 75 percent from the free-throw line.
Dug McDaniels struggled again shooting the ball, going 3-for-10 from the field, and he recorded seven points, six assists and three rebounds.
After being suspended indefinitely ahead of the Utah State game, Zach Davis rejoined the team and played nine minutes against USF, finishing with two points, two rebounds and two steals.
With the loss, Memphis falls to 12-14 on the year, including 7-6, with five conference games remaining. The Tigers return to FedExForum Sunday for their second game against UAB.
Hardaway’s team beat the Blazers in Birmingham by 10 points on February 5.