Memphis basketball’s win over Florida Atlantic was so sweet, David Jones had to flex.

Sunday afternoon was truly a period of triumph for Memphis basketball.

For about two hours, it no longer mattered if the Tigers (20-8, 9-6 AAC) had blown a 15-2 start this season. It no longer mattered if they were once No. 10 in the Associated Press (AP) Top 25. It no longer mattered that they had played themselves out of an at-large bid for this year’s NCAA Tournament.

Vengeance was the forethought in everyone’s minds during the Tigers’ Round of 64 rematch with Florida Atlantic inside FedExForum, and it ultimately reigned supreme.

But Memphis’ revenge didn’t come without some familiar obstacles. Just like the infamous NCAA Tournament meeting in 2023, the Tigers saw a jump ball ruling go against their favor.

FAU guard Johnell Davis slipped and fell down with the ball in his hands while driving to cup early in the second half. David Jones tied Davis up, and the possession arrow favored Memphis. Except this time, the timeout was granted with 18:46 to play. But it was for Florida Atlantic, not the Tigers, causing the FedExForum crowd to make their voices heard.

Head coach Penny Hardaway couldn’t do anything besides simply throwing his arms up.

“I wish I could say what I really feel [about that]. I’m sure you guys would love that. But I wasn’t shocked,” he said postgame.

Something else that paralleled last year’s matchup was the game’s competitiveness, especially down the stretch. The Tigers and Owls went back-and-forth for most of the second half, but the former took control in the contest’s waning moments.

Memphis used an 11-1 run in three minutes and 45 seconds to take a 73-63 lead with 3:36 left to play. But FAU had one last gasp. Davis, who finished with 20 points, made four free throws in a row to cut the deficit to six points. Brandon Weatherspoon then hit a 3-pointer to make it a 75-70 game with 1:13 to go. Davis closed the gap to three points a few seconds later, making the score 75-72 with 56 seconds left.

Hardaway’s team blew a late lead to May’s club last year, which ended the former’s season. But though the sixth-year coach found himself in danger of repeating that unfortunate fate, he wasn’t fazed—not even after Memphis committed a halfcourt pass turnover that mirrored Kendric Davis’ from last year.

“I think because I played the game and I was in those situations, I understand what can happen. You can only put your guys in position and hope that they can get out of those positions,” Hardaway said. “That ball went in the middle again on the pass and [FAU] stole it. And I was like, ‘Oh my God, let’s just not pass the ball in the middle of the press ever again.’ But I just stay calm because I’ve been in those situations. And I just try to stay calm for [my players]. So when they see my reaction and my response—and I’m not panicking—maybe they won’t panic.”

Memphis indeed didn’t panic. Instead, it clamped up on defense and forced a missed 3-pointer by Weatherspoon. Jones, who scored 20 points in the final period, put FAU away at the free throw line a few ticks later. He finished the game with a game-high 25 points to go along with 11 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists on 8-for-20 shooting.

“The second half was just David Jones being David Jones,” Jones said.

He also rebounded Weatherspoon’s miss that would’ve tied the game with 21 seconds left. And while Jones wasn’t a part of last year’s heartbreak, he knew just how sweet this win was for not just his team, but the entire city. Once he realized the Tigers had officially staved off the Owls’ late rally, he couldn’t help but flex.

“I had to. [FAU] was talking too much,” he said.

Nae’Qwan Tomlin is another first-year Tiger, but he still felt the FAU sting last season. He lost to the Owls in the Elite Eight as a member of Kansas State, so it was only fitting he had his best game as a Tiger on Sunday. The 6-foot-10 forward finished with 21 points, 8 rebounds (5 offensive), 3 steals and 2 blocks.

“His energy was amazing. It’s probably the most energy I’ve seen from him all season. He had a personal vendetta…When you’ve played against FAU, they can kinda get under your skin. He was looking forward to this game,” Hardaway said. “You could just tell from the beginning that he was ready to go. For the entire week, he was ready to go.”

Tomlin himself couldn’t help but acknowledge the significance of Sunday’s win.

“Just going into this game, you wanna get that get-back for Memphis. But I also wanted to do it for my last year’s team with K-State. [FAU] beat us in the Elite Eight, and that feeling—that hurts. In that locker room, everybody’s crying,” Tomlin said. “So I did it, not only for Memphis, but for [Kansas State] as well.”

The Tigers visit East Carolina on Thursday (6 p.m., ESPN2).