Maybe it was on Sunday.
Focus on may be.
In the first half, UAB dominated Memphis basketball and led by 22 points. But the Tigers, if they wanted any chance at an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, had to get this game. So they took her.
In front of an electrifying and raucous FedExForum crowd, the Tigers (22-8, 11-6 AAC) used a 46-9 run (highlighted by 20 straight points) to regain control and cruise to a 106-87 win, their fourth straight. That keeps them in contention for a double bye into the AAC tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, which begins March 13. The team is ranked fourth in the league standings, with one game remaining in the regular season.
“For me, for the movement, I thank God for the movement,” Hardaway said. “The motion is moving now. I can feel the momentum of this team, even though we had a bad first half, I just feel like God has a plan for this team. For the things we’ve been through, to be able to come out of this with a win by 19.” Point, I never give up.”
Many of the same fans who were talking about the Tigers’ foul play in the first half were talking in the second half about the dominant play.
Memphis is only the second team in college basketball since 2010 to trail by more than 20 points and win the same game by more than 15 points.
“I’m not sure if I should be proud of that or not,” Hardaway joked.
“They played us in the first half, I’m not going to lie,” said Nyquan Tomlin, who scored a career-high 28 points.
“Personally, I didn’t want to go out like this,” David Jones said after scoring 32 points.
“The team is really coming together,” Javon Quinerly said. “Even with the 10-game winning streak we had earlier in the season, I feel like the momentum we have now is a little bit more, because we’re putting opponents away the way I feel like we should. Guys smiling out there, have fun.”
The resounding victory avenged a disappointing loss in January to the Blazers (18-11, 10-6) in Birmingham.
Here are five takeaways from Sunday’s win.
Points, points and more points
Memphis was backed by a three-headed monster consisting of Jones, Tomlin and Jahvon Quinerly.
Jones was held to just eight points in the first half. But, as has happened in other games where he got off to a slow start, he came alive in the second half. He scored 24 of his game-high 32 points in the final 20 minutes.
Tomlin, a midseason transfer who has emerged as a major force on both ends of the floor, dropped in 28 points to go along with seven rebounds and two steals.
Quinerly finished with 25 points.
Spin battle
UAB handled relatively well what little defensive pressure Memphis was able to generate in the first half. The Blazers committed just seven turnovers before halftime, compared to Memphis’ eight.
The second half was a whole other story. UAB turned the ball over 11 times in its disastrous half, while the Tigers committed just once.
Andy Kennedy’s short day
The Tigers came out of the locker room after halftime like a house on fire.
After the break, 61-46, the team scored two field goals in the first minute and four goals in the first two minutes to cut the deficit to just seven points. UAB coach Andy Kennedy grew agitated, shaking his head, looking at the floor and sighing deeply.
Two minutes later, the Tigers were back within 61-59, and Kennedy blew a gasket. He was given a technical foul by referee Jeb Hartness, which did not sit well with Kennedy. As he continued to protest, Byron Garrett fired him. This set Kennedy off even more. Players and coaches alike had to rein him in.
Where is the defense?
Two weeks ago, the Tigers allowed 58 points to SMU in the first half of a 106-79 loss.
Whatever SMU did, UAB did better. The Blazers crushed the Tigers in the first half, scoring 61 points without scoring any goals in the first 1:19 and the last 1:35.
UAB shot 67.6% from the floor and made eight 3-pointers. In the first 20 minutes, she abused Memphis’ interior defense and scored 30 points in the paint.
Help at the free throw line
As things heated up for the Tigers in the first half, they steeled themselves with a consistent performance at the free throw line.
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They got there early and often, making 16 shots on 18 attempts. Their 16 attempts were twice as many as UAB had in the first half.
All that time at the free throw line also helped set the table for the foul trouble UAB found themselves in the rest of the game. Six Blazers finished with three or more fouls.
Quinerly and Jones each made 10 free throws.
Contact sportswriter Jason Munz at [email protected] or on Twitter @munzly.
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