Memphis defeats SMU, gets one step closer to NCAA Tournament

As the big game against the Houston Cougars looms, the Tigers traveled to Dallas to take on the SMU Mustangs. Favored by 6.5 points, the Tigers looked to finish their final road game of the season and Kendric Davis’s final game in Dallas in the win column.

First Half

Of course, Kendric Davis began the game by hitting a three to kick things off for Memphis. Both teams traded the first four baskets of the game that ended up being threes before a made free throw by DeAndre Williams put the Tigers up 7-6 less than two minutes into the game. The teams continued to trade baskets as SMU took the lead heading into the first media timeout at 12-11.

Coming out of the timeout, SMU used transition and second chance opportunities to extend their lead to 16-13, but the Tigers responded with a 12-0 run after turning up the defensive pressure to regain and extend the lead to 25-16. Both teams were deploying different strategies early in this contest as SMU scored 14 of their first 22 points on second chance opportunities and the Tigers forced eight turnovers and moved the ball with nine assists on their first 13 baskets as they led 33-24 with 7:27 left in the half.

After the Tigers extended their lead to as many as 14 points at 38-24, sloppy play helped SMU go on a 7-0 run to cut the lead to seven points. Kendric Davis then buried a corner three in front of the SMU bench as he had some words for his old teammates to push the Tigers’ lead back to double-digits with 3:43 remaining in the half.

The Tigers continued to use their defensive intensity and incredible ball movement to end the half on a 12-6 run to take a 13-point lead into the half at 50-37. Memphis shot 70 percent from the field and 60 percent from three in the first half and totaled 15 assists on 19 made baskets. Also, the defense forced 11 turnovers although the offense turned the ball over 10 times themselves.

Kendric Davis led Memphis in a balanced scoring effort with 12 points and seven assists. Damaria Franklin chipped in eight points off the bench and both DeAndre Williams and Elijah McCadden scored seven points and had three assists at halftime for the Tigers. Senior guard Zach Nutall led the Mustangs with 12 points and five rebounds at the half.

Second Half

Kendric Davis felt like he was fouled on the last play of the first half and received a technical foul as the teams walked to the locker room so SMU started the second half at the free-throw line. Zach Nutall made both free throws to cut the Tigers’ lead to 11 points to begin the half.

Overall, the start to the second half was very sluggish for the Tigers as they gained six team fouls by the 15:38 mark but remained up by 11 at 56-45. After the first media timeout, SMU made two free throws and connected on a three to cut the Tigers’ lead to six points. Memphis responded with a 5-0 run to push their lead back to 11 points at 61-50.

SMU continued to fight back as expected, but the Tigers seemed to have an answer for every run as the Mustangs couldn’t get closer than six points the rest of the game. With the score at 67-60, SMU had the ball with a chance to cut the lead to five points when Kendric Davis forced a turnover with a steal and layup to start another run for the Tigers to push the lead back to 15 points at 75-60.

The Tigers never looked back as they ended the game on a 14-2 run to win 81-62 over the SMU Mustangs. Kendric Davis led the way in his final game in Moody Coliseum with 22 points and 10 assists. Four players ended in double figures scoring as Damaria Franklin scored 15 points, DeAndre Williams scored 13 points, and Elijah McCadden scored 10 points. Chandler Lawson grabbed 12 rebounds and provided 3 blocks on the defensive end.

Next up, Memphis returns home to take on the No. 1 ranked Houston Cougars on Sunday, March 5th at 11:00 am CST.