Tigers sting the Hornets in final non-conference game of the season

A career night from Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu and efficient play from DeAndre Williams led Memphis to a solid win to end the non-conference schedule.

Tonight’s matchup between the Memphis Tigers and the Alabama St. Hornets wasn’t the most intriguing non-conference matchup on paper. But Alabama St. had played a unique schedule so far starting its season with 11 straight road games. Though the Hornets were on the road once again, this game was a bit of a homecoming with four players from Memphis.

FIRST HALF

Early on, it was the Hornets who looked comfortable inside the FedEx Forum floor as they jumped out to an 11-10 lead. But Memphis settled in, and Kendric Davis got Memphis going with an early six points that helped give Memphis an 18-13 advantage with 13:17 left in the half.

Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu, or Kao for short, played valuable minutes against Texas A&M and made a real impact. Against the Alabama St. Hornets, Kao’s play was something to keep an eye on. But how could you miss him soaring through the air? With 12:34 left in the half, Elijah McCadden found Kao for an alley-oop slam.

Another Kao slam gave Memphis its biggest lead as the Tigers led 25-16. This was short-lived, though, as Alabama St. answered with back-to-back 3s. But Memphis responded with a DeAndre Williams three and another Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu jam.

With 7:26 to go in the first half, the Tigers led 30-22.

Give credit to the Alabama St. Hornets, though. After the Tigers extended their lead to 13, the Hornets responded with a 9-2 run of their own to cut the lead to six, 40-34, with 1:31 in the half. Rebounding was a point of emphasis for Memphis. But up to this point, it was Alabama St. who had the advantage on the boards, 17-15. The Hornets had also hit two more threes to help keep them in the game.

A DeAndre Williams put-back tip to beat the buzzer sent some energy through the Forum and allowed Memphis to enter the half with a 47-37 lead.

DeAndre led the Tigers with 14 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, and 0 fouls. Kendric Davis also had a solid first half with 11 points and 7 assists. Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu had seven points, six of which came from powerful slams, and a block. Though he recorded only one block, his verticality and interior defense made it very difficult for Alabama St. to finish at the rim.

2nd Half

Williams started the second half the way he ended the first with a nice bucket at the rim. His importance to the Tigers can’t be overstated. In each of the last three games, DeAndre had fouled out.

Kao continued his dominant play as well with another alley-oop jam off of a DeAndre Williams feed. After a sweet Damaria Franklin pull-up jumper, Kao showed he can do more than dunk with a smooth jump hook in the paint. With 15:56 left in the game, Memphis was starting to impose its will and led 59-40.

After Alabama St. cut the lead to 15, Memphis answered with a DeAndre Williams lay-up off another Kendric Davis assist, which gave Davis 11 assists. The Tigers held a 19-point advantage with 11:29 to go.

At the 8:29 mark, DeAndre Williams headed to the bench to a standing ovation from the Tiger faithful. Williams was incredible with 25 points, six rebounds, two steals, one block, and perhaps most importantly, zero fouls. Tonight, he hit a great Tiger career milestone scoring his 1,000th point.

Though the Alabama St. Hornets gave a valiant effort, this game was done and dusted after a Williams and-one that gave Memphis a 78-58 lead.

We even got an Ian Granja sighting tonight! The freshman from Barcelona, Spain saw his first minutes and recorded his first block of his Tiger career helping give the Memphis 14 blocks for the game.

The Tigers closed this one out and prevailed 83-61.

Quick Takeaways:

1. Tough shooting night for KD, but playmaking was elite.

Someone whose name wasn’t mentioned much was Kendric Davis. His jump shot was virtually nonexistent tonight other than a couple of contested makes as he went 4-of-13 from the floor and 1-of-5 from three. Though KD struggled to score the ball, his elite playmaking was on full display with 11 assists.

2. 1,000 points and counting for DeAndre Williams.

There may not be a more important basketball player in the Coach Penny Hardaway era than DeAndre Williams. He joined the Tigers at a low point in the 2020-2021 season and ignited a flame under Memphis that propelled them to future success. There is no question he changed the entire season. After 2021 and up to this point, his impact and importance have only grown.

3. Kao with the knock-out punches.

Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu was incredible finishing with 14 points (career-high) and 7 blocks (wow). Malcolm Dandridge’s injury has opened the door to Kao, who struggled to find his footing early on. Sure, Alabama St. doesn’t have the best interior players or finishers at the rim. But the past couple games have been massive for Kao’s confidence moving forward.

Memphis has a Holiday break before starting conference play Thursday, December 29 against a familiar foe, Tyler Harris, and the USF Bulls. Happy Holidays everyone!