How Memphis’ Dain Dainja shut down Rice’s upset bid

Dain Dainja just keeps topping himself these days.

Since becoming Memphis basketball’s permanent starting center nine games ago, the 6-foot-9 senior averages 17.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks on 69.4% shooting. He scored at least 18 points in six of the first eight outings.

One of the outliers, however, took place during Memphis’ victory at Rice earlier this month. Dainja finished that Sunday afternoon with 6 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, and played just 25 minutes after committing 4 personal fouls. Without his interior scoring, the Tigers nearly blew an 11-point lead with under three minutes to play before clinching an 86-83 win.

Dainja wanted to make sure Memphis beat the Owls convincingly in Wednesday’s rematch at FedExForum, and seemingly put it on pace to do so at first. The Tigers generated a 10-1 run in the first three and a half minutes, and held a 21-9 advantage at the 11:28 mark in the first half. Dainja scored 7 points on 3-of-5 shooting in that stretch.

But Memphis’ fortune turned sideways once Dainja committed his second foul with 10:18 left in the period, sidelining him until halftime. The Owls trimmed the Tigers’ lead down to 2 points with a 9-2 run over the ensuing three minutes, and Memphis ultimately held a slim 39-32 advantage at the break.

Rice didn’t go away in the second half either despite Dainja scoring 14 points in as many minutes to start the period. Rob Lanier’s club eventually used a 6-0 run to tie the game at 70 points apiece with just under four minutes to play. That’s about as close as the Owls came to victory, though, since Memphis—Dainja, more specifically—flipped a switch.

Tyrese Hunter put Memphis back in front with a layup off a Colby Rogers steal. PJ Haggerty then laid another one in to give the Tigers a 4-point advantage, but Dainja knew that wasn’t enough. He had to finish off Rice for good, and he had to do it the hard way.

Dainja first sent Kellen Amos’ step-back 3-pointer straight into Haggerty’s hands, and the Tigers’ leading scorer passed it ahead to Dainja for a basket on the other end. Rice guard Trae Broadnax tried his luck at the rim, but Dainja swatted that away too—just as he did with Caden Powell’s putback attempt seconds later. Haggerty then missed a one-and-one free throw, only for Dainja to slam it back in and give the Tigers a 78-70 lead with under a minute left.

The Brooklyn Park, Minnesota native had logged 4 points and 3 blocks in 44 seconds. In other words, he nailed the death blow Memphis needed. The Tigers finished the game with a 14-2 run and secured an 84-72 final.

Dainja celebrated with an emotional roar that only March Madness invokes. Who cares if the calendar still technically reads February?

“It’s March. It’s time to win,” Dainja told reporters postgame.

Memphis coach Penny Hardaway appreciates Dainja’s rare outburst, and even thinks the Tigers need more of that passion moving forward.

“I don’t really know what got into him, but we want a lot of that from here on out,” he said. “Dain woke up at that moment…It looked like a man possessed, that he just didn’t wanna lose. Once he got the rhythm, I’ve never seen him that animated after getting blocks or making plays. That’s what we want from Dain. We want him to come out of his shadow, and give us that energy.”

Dainja unsurprisingly garnered another monstrous tally. He finished the game with a career-high 25 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal on 78.5% shooting—his second consecutive double-double and fourth overall this season. He scored 18 of his points in the second half alone.

His 3-block defensive stand in the final minutes arguably makes it his finest performance—not just as a Tiger, but for his entire college career too. After all, it caused the rowdiest postgame gathering in Hardaway’s seven seasons at the helm.

“The locker room was as loud as I’ve ever heard it, because of the defensive stance at the end by Dain…Just communicating, talking, cheering and rooting each other on,” Hardaway said. “That’s a great feeling.”

No. 18 Memphis (23-5, 13-2 AAC) visits UAB on Sunday (3 p.m., ESPN).