Memphis basketball got taken down to the wire in its final game before Christmas. But the Tigers fought through more than just a feisty Vanderbilt team Saturday afternoon.

Memphis basketball had a lot to prove at the start of December.

It began the month by losing at Ole Miss 80-77 on Dec. 2, a game Memphis controlled until the final moments. Before that, the Tigers were blasted by Villanova 79-63 in the Battle 4 Atlantis championship. Penny Hardaway’s team had gone from 5-0 to 5-2, and most had more questions than answers about the type of group it is this season.

A lot of those questions still remained after Memphis won at VCU on Dec. 6, but they didn’t last much longer after that. The Tigers went on a monumental three-game stretch—a statement win at Texas A&M (ranked No. 21 in the AP Top 25 before tip-off) on Dec. 10, a fight to the finish against No. 18 Clemson last Saturday and a demolition over No. 22 Virginia Tuesday night. Memphis also gained victories over Michigan and Arkansas last month, giving it five total wins over top-55 KenPom opponents in an 11-game span.

But as helpful and thrilling a run like that is, it can also be quite tiring. No. 23 Memphis certainly felt the effects Saturday against Vanderbilt.

“The guys are tired,” Hardaway said postgame. “We’ve been rolling. There hasn’t been any rest for the weary. We’ve had a couple weeks off, but we’ve prepared very hard those weeks for those [non-conference] teams because we knew we needed to beat them…At the end of this schedule—right before Christmas—guys are just tired.”

That at least partially explains why the Tigers had such a sloppy outing against a Vanderbilt team that was 4-7 before tip-off, and owns nothing but buy-game victories thus far. The Commodores were also No. 234 in KenPom and No. 294 in the NCAA NET rankings, and slotted No. 248 in offensive efficiency and No. 226 in defensive efficiency heading into Saturday’s affair.

Memphis got shell-shocked in the game’s first 20 minutes. Vanderbilt came out with more energy and focus than the Tigers, and outplayed them in nearly every facet in the first half. The Commodores shot 14-of-27 from the field and 50% from 3-point range in the period, while Memphis made just nine shots—six of them being 3-pointers.

It also racked up 6 turnovers, was outrebounded 18-16 and shot 79% from the free throw line. But the Tigers had opportunities despite this. Vanderbilt was far from perfect, shooting 40% on its free throw attempts and turning the ball over nine times. The Commodores also allowed 13 bench points and 6 second chance points. Memphis, however, never capitalized nor pulled away in the first half, and trailed Vanderbilt 36-35 at the break.

The Tigers looked to have finally figured something out to start the game’s final period. An 11-2 run out of halftime would suggest as such.

But Vanderbilt got back into things with a 6-0 run of its own, and quickly lulled Memphis back to sleep for much of the second half. With the Tigers leading 54-53 with 12:27 left to play, the Commodores went on another 9-0 run to take their largest lead of the afternoon, 62-54 with 8:21 to go.

Luckily, FedExForum woke up after the under-8 media timeout, and so did the Tigers. David Jones made a free throw to cut the lead to 7. He then made a 3-pointer to cut it to 4. Caleb Mills made two free throws after that, and Jones did the same a possession later. Malcolm Dandridge then completed Memphis’ 12-0 run by hammering in a lob from Mills with 5:07 to go, giving Memphis a 64-62 lead.

Vanderbilt tried its best to take back control after that, but ultimately failed after Memphis finished it off with several trips to the free throw line. Vanderbilt’s Ezra Manjon also missed what would’ve been a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer. The Tigers got the Commodores’ best shot, and still managed to escape FedExForum with a 77-75 win.

Jones, as he’s done all season long, led the Tigers to victory with 28 points and 9 rebounds while shooting 50% from the field and 4-of-6 from 3-point range. This was the sixth 20-point game in a row for the St. John’s transfer, but his performance Saturday was particularly courageous for reasons beyond his on-court play.

“David Jones missed three days in a row of practice because he’s really sick,” Hardaway said. “He was supposed to take a flight [home] today, but he’s not going on the flight. Probably gotta get a couple IVs. He and Caleb [Mills] have both been extremely sick…Both of those guys got IV two days in a row, and I think David Jones is getting it right now. [I] don’t know what bug that is or what’s going on.”

Memphis dealt with even more than fatigue or sickness, though. Wing Jaykwon Walton started against Vanderbilt despite suffering a foot injury Tuesday versus Virginia. Walton, who scored 4 points while shooting 2-of-10 from the field and 0-of-6 from beyond the arc Saturday, spent most of this week in a walking boot.

“I thought Jaykwon was probably at 80% today,” Hardaway said. “He was limping so badly yesterday. I don’t even know how he played. I don’t know what happened, [or] how he got out there…I know he was feeling that pain.”

Nae’Qwan Tomlin’s Memphis debut

On top of that, the Tigers welcomed the Kansas State transfer to its rotation for the first time this season. Tomlin made a good first impression overall, playing 15 minutes against the Commadores while stacking up 8 points and 3 rebounds. He even made a 3-pointer just four seconds after checking into the game in the first half.

The 6-foot-10 center faced a variety of challenges that led him to his Memphis debut Saturday. He was dismissed by Kansas State earlier this month and subsequently entered the transfer portal. Tomlin had previously been suspended since late October, when he got arrested after a physical altercation at a sports bar in Manhattan, Kansas. The 23-year-old was later granted diversion in the case, per The Topeka Capital-Journal.

He then dealt with another obstacle in the form of academic admissions upon arriving to Memphis last week. Tomlin was supposed to be immediately eligible to play for the Tigers since he never suited up for Kansas State this year, but KSU first had to approve his graduation.

“It was a really long process,” Tomlin said Saturday. “Mentally, [it was] very depressing because my passion is playing basketball. And because I couldn’t, it was very hard on me.”

The fifth-year senior, instead of drowning in his sorrows, turned to a common remedy for those with mental health struggles. He bought a rescue dog named “Mama,” who Tomlin says has helped him tremendously.

“That’s my girl,” he said.

Through all their trials and tribulations—whether it be for Hardaway, Jones, Mills, Walton, Tomlin or anyone else—the Tigers (10-2) achieved more than most could’ve imagined in their non-conference slate.

They’re ranked in the AP Top 25. They own seven Quad 1 and 2 victories, tied for most in the country with Purdue. Hardaway is garnering tons of respect around the country for the job he’s done this season. Jones is an early National Player of the Year candidate. And Memphis is having its most magical campaign in more than a decade.

All the while, Tomlin and “Mama” have found a new, loving home.