Memphis snaps three-game losing streak with 21-point win over Alabama State

After a road loss Saturday afternoon against Mississippi State, Memphis returned to FedExForum and picked up a much-needed win over Alabama State. The Hornets kept the game close for the first 10 minutes, but after that, the Tigers kept the lead in double digits for the rest of the game and cruised to an 88-67 victory.

After starting nine different starting lineups through the first 11 games of the season, Penny Hardaway stuck with the same five he used against Mississippi State. While Dug McDaniel, Ashton Hardaway and Julius Thedford all played 23 minutes or more, Hasan Abdul Hakim and Thierno Sylla both played fewer than 10 minutes, and neither appeared in the second half.

Sylla has now started back-to-back games, but he hasn’t played more than nine minutes in either game after not playing against Louisville and Vanderbilt. The big man recorded two rebounds, an assist, two blocks, a steal, two fouls and two turnovers in seven minutes of action.

Memphis opened the game on a 9-0 run and extended the lead to 12 points before Alabama State responded with an 8-3 run to make it a five-point game. After that, the Tigers slowly built their lead again and led by 15 before the Hornets made back-to-back threes to close the first half.

Like the first half, Hardaway’s team opened the second half with another big run and outscored Alabama State 19-6 in the first 7:30 of the second half. With the run, the Tigers led by 23 points, and they kept the lead around there for the rest of the game.

Hardaway was able to play all 15 players on the roster in the win, and nine different players scored. As a team, the Memphis shot 50.8 percent from the field, 43.3 percent from three-point range and 61.1 percent from the free-throw line, and three different players finished the game in double figures. 

McDaniel led the team with 23 points, including 7-for-12 from behind the arc, and he added three assists, two steals and only two turnovers. Givens and Ashton Hardaway also finished with double-digits, and they combined for 33 points and five-made three pointers.

As a team, the Tigers made 13 three-pointers, which is the most the team has made in a single game, but the 13 came from only four players. 

Memphis also won the rebounding battle 40-to-37, and they scored 14 second-chance points on 15 offensive rebounds. Thedford led the team with 10 rebounds, including seven offensive boards, while Tariq Ingraham added six rebounds in five minutes of action.

While they shot the ball well, the Tigers turned the ball over 18 times, and the Hornets scored 16 points off turnovers.

Defensively, Memphis held Alabama State to 35.9 percent from the field and 27.6 percent from deep. Four players finished the game in double figures, and former Tiger, Damarien Yates, finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and a steal. 

Asjon Anderson led the team with 16 points, and the Tigers held Micah Simson, who averages more than 15 points per game, to only six points on 3-for-14 shooting.

Memphis will get a break for the Holidays before starting conference play next Wednesday against North Texas. The Mean Green are 9-4 on the season, and they’ve won six of their last eight games.