By Don Mooney
photo by Don Mooney
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis rallied from a double-digit deficit, forced overtime and had No. 13 Vanderbilt on the ropes Wednesday night at FedExForum, but the undefeated Commodores found another gear in the extra session, pulling away for a 77-70 overtime victory.
Hasan Abdul Hakim‘s driving layup with six seconds remaining in regulation knotted the score at 62 and sent the game beyond 40 minutes after Vanderbilt’s last-second 3-point attempt came up short. From there, the Commodores took control behind Duke Miles, who scored seven of his game-high 22 points in overtime to preserve Vanderbilt’s unbeaten start.
photo by Don Mooney
Vanderbilt overcame an ice-cold shooting night, hitting just 32.3 percent from the floor and 19.4 percent from three. It was the Commodores’ lowest shooting percentage since 2022 and the lowest mark in a win since 2014. Vandy also fell victim to the turnover bug, committing 20 on the night. Wednesday marked just the fifth time in the past 30 seasons the Dores have won with 20 or more turnovers.
Vanderbilt (11-0) outscored Memphis 15-8 in the overtime period, leaning heavily on free throws and interior finishes after the game was tied at 66 early in the extra frame. Jalen Washington scored inside to break the tie, and Miles followed by converting four-consecutive free throws as the Commodores closed it out at the line.
photo by Don Mooney
The loss came despite a resilient performance from the Tigers (4-6), who erased an 11-point second-half deficit with a decisive surge. Trailing 35-24, Memphis rattled off a 20-5 run over a span of just under five minutes, fueled by defensive pressure that forced Vanderbilt into six turnovers (five steals). During the stretch, the Tigers shot 7-of-8 from the field and briefly seized control of the game.
Memphis led 49-44 midway through the second half and held multiple narrow advantages late, but scoring dried up down the stretch. The Tigers made only three field goals (3-of-15) in the final 10:22 of regulation, allowing Vanderbilt to stay within striking distance before forcing overtime.
New football head coach Charles Huff in attendance. photo by Don Mooney
Dug McDaniel and Sincere Parker led Memphis with 18 points apiece. Abdul Hakim added 13 points and finished with a double-digit rebounding effort, while Tariq Ingraham contributed 11 points. Foul trouble proved costly late, as Quante Berry fouled out in regulation and Aaron Bradshaw picked up his fifth foul early in overtime.
Tyler Tanner added 16 points for Vanderbilt, while Washington finished with 14. Despite committing 20 turnovers – well above its season average – the Commodores compensated by going 9-of-10 from the free-throw line in the final 2:30 of overtime.
Vanderbilt overcame an ice-cold shooting night, hitting just 32.3 percent from the floor and 19.4 percent from three. It was the Commodores’ lowest shooting percentage since 2022 and the lowest mark in a win since 2014. Vandy also fell victim to the turnover bug, committing 20 on the night. Wednesday marked just the fifth time in the past 30 seasons the Dores have won with 20 or more turnovers.
photo by Don Mooney
In the extra frame, Vanderbilt used a 9-0 run to take control with most of the damage coming at the free throw line. The Dores hit 11-of-13 from the stripe in overtime to seal the 77-70 victory.