Senior guard Jahvon Quinerly shredded UAB defense for a total of 28pts giving Memphis a historic win. photo by Don Mooney
By Don Mooney
Memphis, TENN—After trailing by more than 20 points in the first half, the Tigers (22-8, 11-6 AAC) became just the second NCAA Division I team since 2010-11 to win a game by 15 or more points after trailing by 20 or more points. After trailing UAB (18-11, 10-6 AAC), 61-39, with 1:25 minutes left in the first half, Memphis reeled off a 20-0 run to get back into the game and went on to out-score the Blazers, 60-26, in the second half.
The trio of David Jones, Jahvon Quinerly and Nae’Qwan Tomlin combined for 85 of Tigers points. Jones led all scores with 32 points. photo by don Mooney
Midway through the first half with the game knotted at 20-20, UAB went on a hot streak, connecting on 18-of-20 field goal attempts, while the Tigers missed 10-consecutive shots. Memphis managed to cut its 22-point deficit down to 15 at the break when Quinerly reeled off a personal 7-0 run that featured a logo three-pointer to send the Tigers into the locker room, trailing 61-46.
Senior David Jones led all scorers with 28 points enroute to 106-87 victory. photo by Don Mooney
UAB shot 67.6 percent (23-34) in the opening 20 minutes and connected on eight triples, while Memphis shot 38.2 percent (13-34) with just four long balls.
The second 20 minutes were a different story. By the first media timeout of the half, the Tigers had already wiped out the entire deficit and taken a three-point lead. That stretch featured 20-straight points by Memphis en route to a 46-9 run over 12-plus minutes that saw the Tigers take an 85-70 advantage with 8:30 to play. Memphis never let UAB get any closer than 13 points and even extended its lead to 21 in the final minute before the horn blew on the 106-87 victory.
Relentless offensive and defensive pressure by Seniors Quinerly(11) and Tomlin (7).Photo by Don Mooney
The Tigers finished the night shooting 47.9-percent overall (35-73) with eight three-pointers and 28 free throws. UAB had five players in double figures, led by Alejandro Vasquez‘s 18 points. The Blazers shot 54.2 percent on the night (32-59) with nine triples and 14 free throws.
Coach Penny and his seniors prevail in historic win over UAB. photo by Don Mooney
On Tap
Tigers will take some time off before heading to Boca Raton, Florida for rematch with Florida Atlantic in the regular season finale.