Memphis improved to a game over .500 with a 77-54 victory over Charlotte on Sunday. The Tigers jumped out to a 20-point lead in the first half, and they never led by less than 17 points in the second half to secure back-to-back wins over the last week.
Penny Hardaway made a change to the starting lineup, inserting Curtis Givens III and Thierno Sylla into the first group. The change moved Simon Majok and Quante Berry to the bench, and they combined for only 10 minutes of game time.
Berry played all 10 minutes, while Majok didn’t appear in the game.
As a team, Memphis shot 46 percent from the field, 30 percent from deep and 72.2 percent from the free-throw line, and they won the rebounding battle 41-to-32. Six players finished the game in double figures, and Aaron Bradshaw led the team with 16 points, six rebounds, two blocks and a steal.
Four of the starters finished with 10 or more points, and Sylla, who has been in and out of the lineup all season, was only one rebound shy of a double-double. Off the bench, Ashton Hardaway and Sincere Parker combined for 21 points, and they were the only two players who played more than 10 minutes off the bench.
On the other side, Charlotte only shot 36.8 percent from the field and 21.9 percent from three-point range, and only two players finished in double-figures. The 49ers turned the ball over 16 times, and the Tigers scored 12 points off turnovers.
Aaron Bradshaw has another impressive showing
Aaron Bradshaw had another impressive game against Charlotte and finished the contest with 16 points, six rebounds, two blocks and a steal. The big man grabbed three offensive rebounds and shot 7-for-11 from the field, including a three-pointer.
Bradshaw has taken his game to another level in conference play and has recorded 10 or more points in eight of the 10 conference games this season. The junior is averaging 11.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, and he has started nine of the games he’s played in during conference play.
Bradshaw has been playing with much more confidence over the last few weeks in conference play, and that confidence is leading to improved play on the court. The big man has played a massive role for the team, and they’ll look for him to continue the impressive play through the rest of the season.
Tigers dominate the boards
Memphis has struggled in the rebounding department this season, but that wasn’t the case on Sunday. The Tigers won the rebounding battle 41-to-32, and they scored 22 second-chance points on 12 offensive rebounds.
In conference play, Hardaway’s team has either lost or tied the rebounding battle in six of the 11 conference games and four of the last six games. While they’ve struggled, they have either won or tied the rebounding battle in the last three games, including a plus-15 in a loss against Tulane.
Four players recorded six or more rebounds, and Julius Thedford led the way with 11 rebounds to add to his 11 points. The Tigers will play better rebounding teams, but if they can continue to rebound at this level, it could be the difference between winning and losing games late in the season.
Defense wins games
The most impressive part of the game might’ve been Memphis’ defense. It was clear early on that the 49ers would have issues producing offensively, and they finished the first half with only 17 points, shooting 24 percent from the field.
While they looked better in the second half, Charlotte never looked comfortable and finished the game with 16 turnovers. The Tigers recorded 10 steals and five blocks, and three players finished with seven or more stops.
Thedford was a pest on the defensive end all afternoon, and he recorded 10 stops and a defensive rating of 53.5.
With the issues Memphis has had offensively this season, it must rely on coming up with stops defensively, and they’d love for some of the next few games to look like this one.