by Don Mooney
Photo by Altonita Washington
Memphis, TN—In spite of commiting 20 turnovers and shooting 27.8% from the arc Tigers (6-7) kicked off conference play with a 57-48 victory over University of North Texas at FedExForum Wednesday afternoon.
Defense ultimately told the story. Memphis held North Texas to 48 points, the fewest allowed by the Tigers in more than three seasons. The Mean Green endured a historically rough night from beyond the arc, finishing 1-of-18 (5.6 percent), matching the lowest three-point percentage Memphis has allowed since the 2020 season. North Texas also committed 18 turnovers, five above its season average, and struggled to generate any sustained offensive rhythm.
Photo by Altonita Washington
Memphis struck early, opening the game by hitting six of its first 11 shots to build a 14-4 advantage midway through the first half. The momentum stalled soon after, as the Tigers endured a prolonged cold stretch and allowed North Texas to chip away. A late Mean Green push cut the margin to three before Memphis steadied itself in the closing minutes of the half, taking a 30-20 lead into the break.
Photo by Altonita Washington
Zach Davis provided the most consistent production for Memphis, scoring 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting while adding a team-high six rebounds. Sincere Parker followed with 10 points on an efficient 5-of-6 effort, helping the Tigers’ bench account for 36 of the 57 points. Dug McDaniel led the starters with nine points to go along with six assists and four rebounds.
Photo by Altonita Washington
Memphis struck early, opening the game by hitting six of its first 11 shots to build a 14-4 advantage midway through the first half. The momentum stalled soon after, as the Tigers endured a prolonged cold stretch and allowed North Texas to chip away. A late Mean Green push cut the margin to three before Memphis steadied itself in the closing minutes of the half, taking a 30-20 lead into the break.
Photo by Altonita Washington
North Texas briefly threatened again early in the second half, trimming the deficit to seven, but Memphis answered with its most decisive stretch of the afternoon. Parker’s driving layup midway through the period capped a run that pushed the lead to 52-36, the Tigers’ largest advantage. Though North Texas closed the game on a modest run, the outcome was never truly in doubt.
Photo by Altonita Washington
North Texas was led by Je’Shawn Stevenson’s 20 points, six rebounds and three steals. “Obviously not the result we wanted but credit to Memphis,” said North Texas head coach Daniyal Robinson. “They’re a solid team and their depth showed up today. I’m proud of our team’s fight and effort even when the shots weren’t falling.”