This game needed to come with a list of side effects. If you have high blood pressure, this was not the game for you.
The University of Central Florida Knights and the Memphis Tigers have the same aspirations.
Win the conference. Take down Houston. Be the next best team in the AAC at worst. Make the NCAA Tournament. Prior to tonight’s matchup, both teams had the same overall record, 12-4. But Memphis looked up to UCF in the AAC standings as the Knights ranked second (3-1), and the Tigers ranked fifth (2-1). As both teams try to supplant themselves atop the conference, this game served as a vital test for these squads.
1st Half
UCF entered tonight’s matchup with injuries to key players. Former five-star CJ Walker, starting guard Darius Johnson and starting center Michael Durr were all out.
Kendric Davis started the scoring for the Tigers with a sweet fadeaway jump shot in the lane. As mentioned in my preview for tonight’s game, an efficient Davis performance would be needed to pull out this road victory. Defending without fouling was another key. But after five minutes of game time, Memphis had already committed four fouls. UCF started quickly on offense with an opening and-one and a three-pointer to help give them an early 8-4 lead at the 14:55 mark in the first half.
After an opening jumper, Davis then missed his next three shots as he clearly was looking to find his rhythm early. It wasn’t just Davis struggling on offense, though. Memphis struggled to score as UCF’s defense really bothered the Tigers. After the Knights pushed out to a 19-6 lead, Penny Hardaway had enough and called a timeout with 12:57 to go.
Whatever was said in the timeout definitely helped as the Tigers went on a 13-2 run to cut the lead to six, 21-15. UCF answered with a three after a timeout of its own. Then, Johnathan Lawson found Keonte Kennedy for a two-handed slam giving him five early points off the bench. Back-to-back buckets by another unsung hero, Elijah McCadden, followed by a fastbreak bucket from DeAndre Williams put Memphis on an 8-0 run to cut the lead to one, 24-23 with 7:12 left. McCadden then gave the Tigers the lead with good finish.
Another Kennedy jam gave the Tigers a 27-26 lead again as the defensive intensity started to ramp up. In two of the last UCF possessions, Memphis had drawn a charge and took advantage on offense. Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu had been massive on the defensive side as well with a couple blocks. But up to this point, McCadden was the MVP playing great team defense and using his length and athleticism to finish at the rim extending the Memphis run to 17-4. At the 3:27 mark in the half, the Tigers led 32-29.
The biggest thing keeping UCF in this game was its three-point shooting as another long triple gave the Knights a 37-36 lead. Another triple after two Davis free throws felt like a haymaker after Memphis fought to get back in the game. As a desperation heave left a UCF player’s hands, you almost assumed it would go in based off how the half went for the Knights.
UCF finished the first half shooting 7-of-12 from beyond the arc. Memphis was a dismal 1-of-12. That difference was why the Tigers entered the half down 42-40. But after they started the game at a snail’s pace, being down only two points felt like a small win. McCadden led the Tigers with 12 points, one steal, and three rebounds. Kendric Davis and Keonte Kennedy had nine points. Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu finished the half with four points and three blocks.
2nd Half
As Micahel Scott famously said, “My how the turn tables.” While the Knights were scorching hot in the first half, the Tigers were ice cold. But starting the second, it was the Memphis Tigers hitting threes. Alex Lomax got things going from beyond the arc. Then, after a Kendric Davis jumper, DeAndre Williams hit another triple giving the Tigers a 48-42 lead and forcing a UCF timeout.
Another nice Williams sequence with a block on one end, then an assist to Alex Lomax on the other followed by two Davis free throws pushed the lead to 10. A couple more buckets by Davis put the Tigers on a 16-0 run. UCF then hit a couple threes of its own. After an and-one for the Knights, the Memphis lead was seven, 60-53 at the 12:59 mark in the game.
Keonte Kennedy kept the Tigers perfect from deep with another three. UCF answered with more threes of its own as they had made 11 threes with still 9:30 left to play. But Kennedy’s effort cannot be overstated. He drew two crucial charges to halt the Knights’ momentum and maintain a decent Memphis lead. Three DeAndre Williams free throws and an Elijah McCadden lay-up gave Memphis a 72-61 lead with 5:44 left.
Normally, a familiar foe would rear its ugly head during this time of the game for the Tigers: foul trouble. Instead, it was UCF who entered the bonus a little over mid-way through the second half, and the Tigers capitalized by hitting free throws. But this game was far from over.
UCF went on an 8-2 run cutting the lead to just five. Closing the game out for the final 3:12 was going to take execution and discipline on both sides of the ball.
After a Knights lay-up, followed a good defensive possession forcing a shot clock violation on the Tigers. UCF missed the front end of a one-and-one as the Tigers led 74-71 with 1:50 to play.
For this pivotal possession, the ball was fed to DeAndre Williams in the post on the right block. After he turned on his right shoulder heading middle, he rose up for a floater that hit back iron. But who came to the rescue with a put-back dunk to hush the Orlando crowd? Elijah McCadden, the best Memphis Tiger tonight besides Kendric Davis.
The game still wasn’t over, though. Kendric Davis turned the ball over with 32 seconds left and the Tigers only up three.
UCF made the Tigers pay. Ithiel Horton tied the game up with only 16 seconds on the clock. While Davis had been good up to this point with with 23 points, he still wasn’t having a good shooting night going only 6-of-17 from the field and 0-of-6 from deep. With the game tied, Memphis went to its star point guard to win the game. But he couldn’t deliver missing a three at the buzzer.
Overtime
Free basketball in Orlando. The Memphis offense hit a grinding halt in the last few minutes of regulation. That continued to start overtime as they didn’t score in their first four possessions. The Tigers didn’t score their first two points until the 2:23 mark in overtime tying the game up at 80 with two Davis free throws. Though he has struggled from the field, Davis stayed aggressive getting the foul line and hitting clutch shots.
82-82. 2:02 left.
UCF’s PJ Edwards hit a jumper over Davis to give them a two-point lead. While praises have been sung for Elijah McCadden, an offensive foul was not what the Tigers needed on the next possession. Things went from bad to worse after Alex Lomax, one of Memphis’s best defenders, left the game with an injury. Though the Tigers looked like they forced a shot clock violation, a UCF three-point shot hit the rim, and the refs deemed PJ Edwards had possession of the ball.
84-82. 1:01 left. UCF ball.
Memphis needed a stop. They didn’t get it. Instead, UCF hit its 13th three of the game sending the home crowd in a frenzy. Kendric Davis responded though with an and-one.
87-85. 35.3 left. 27 seconds on the shot clock. UCF ball.
Again, Memphis needed a stop. With an eight-second difference, there was enough time for Memphis to defend without fouling. A Knights bucket would all but end the game.
The Memphis defense stood tough and didn’t let that happen. A steal and fast break Keonte Kennedy dunk tied the game.
87-87. 17 seconds left. UCF ball.
AGAIN, Memphis needed a stop. AGAIN, Memphis got one. Double overtime.
Double Overtime
UCF jumped to an early two-point lead after two free throws. Damaria Franklin answered with a lay-up of his own. But the Knights’ kept hitting threes. Back-to-back triples gave them a 95-91 lead. After DeAndre Williams was called for a travel, Memphis forced a key turnover that led to a Kendric Davis jumper.
Things didn’t go the Tigers’ way after that. An and-one from a UCF Knight made it a six-point lead.
99-93. 2:10 left. Memphis ball.
Memphis needed points. Kendric Davis answered the call with his first triple of the game.
99-96. 2:08 left. UCF ball.
You get the point by now. If the Tigers were to win this game, it needed to start on defense. Memphis got the stop and a key rebound. Two more Davis free throws, and the Tigers were down one with 1:30 to play. Yet again, UCF hit a three. Two more Davis free throws, and the Tigers were down two with 59.5 to play.
I sound like a broken record at this point.
102-100. 59.5 left. UCF ball.
Memphis got a stop. Then, Memphis got a phenomenal look. Kendric Davis found Damaria Franklin wide open in the corner, but Franklin couldn’t hit the jumper. UCF then went 1-of-2 from the line, and the Tigers were down just three. While Kendric Davis had been great from the line so far, he also went 1-of-2.
103-101. 28.6 left. UCF ball.
28.6 gave Memphis enough time to play good defense and try to force a turnover. But once UCF broke the Tigers’ press, they had no choice but to foul. Ithiel Horton was not the guy you want on the line as he hit two free throws extending the lead to four making it a two-possession game with 22 seconds left.
Win or lose y’all. These Tigers fought. Jonathan Lawson, who entered the game for an injured Alex Lomax, hit a needed three to cut it to one.
UCF answered with two free throws.
107-104. 11.1 left. Memphis ball.
UCF didn’t foul. Kendric Davis had looks, plural. But none fell.
Memphis lost a heartbreaker, 107-104 in double overtime.
Quick Big Takeaway
- 3-point shooting defense MUST improve.
I’ll keep this short after an extended recap. Yes, the UCF Knights hit some tough threes. But there were too many moments when the Tigers would either over-help or lose their man off-ball leaving a player open for a triple. UCF finished the game with 16 threes. While Memphis found its stroke late, they still only made six. The Tigers will not be a good three-point shooting team. They didn’t lose the game because not enough threes were hit. But 16 made threes to six is an astounding 30 more points UCF scored on triples alone. That was the clear reason why the Knights prevailed, especially knowing Memphis hit six more shots than UCF, 35 for Memphis and 29 for UCF.
Memphis faces Temple on the road on Sunday at 2 pm central.