RECAP: Memphis basketball overcomes 22-point deficit to squash UAB

The Tigers pulled off a season-saving miracle on Senior Day.

Memphis (22-8, 11-6 AAC) smashed UAB 106-87 inside FedExForum Sunday despite trailing the Blazers by as many as 22 points. Penny Hardaway’s team now has sole possession of fourth place in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) for the time being, meaning it would receive a double-bye to the AAC Tournament’s quarterfinals if the regular season ended today. It also avoided what would’ve been a third Quad 3 loss, so its slight hopes for an at-large bid into this year’s NCAA Tournament are still alive.

The U of M shot 48% from the field and 40% from 3-point range. It also racked up 18 forced turnovers, 15 assists, 8 steals and 3 blocks. The Tigers outrebounded UAB 42-30, including 23 offensive boards.

The Blazers (18-11, 10-6 AAC) made 54% of its field goal attempts and 35% of its 3-point tries. They also recorded 17 assists, 11 offensive rebounds, 6 steals and 5 blocks. UAB lost the game despite leading for 21 minutes and 20 seconds. The contest featured six lead changes.

The Tigers now enter a six-day layoff before visiting Florida Atlantic (22-7, 12-4 AAC) in their final regular season game Saturday (11 a.m., CBS). FAU, however, still has to play at North Texas on Wednesday night before it gets Memphis again. If the Owls lose that game, Memphis can jump them in the AAC standings with a victory. The Tigers narrowly defeated Dusty May’s club 78-74 on Feb. 25.

Here are some takeaways from Memphis’ comeback win over the Blazers.

UAB obliterates Memphis’ defense in the first half

The Tigers couldn’t buy a stop during the game’s opening period, and allowed UAB to essentially do whatever it wanted before halftime.

The Blazers shot 67.6% from the field and 57.1% from the 3-point line in the first half, and went on a 41-19 run in nine minutes and 44 seconds to claim a 61-39 advantage with 1:25 left before intermission. Memphis, meanwhile, shot 38% from the floor and were held without a field goal for nearly seven minutes until Jahvon Quinerly broke the drought at the 1:03 mark.

Alejandro Vasquez (13), Eric Gaines (12) and Christian Coleman (10) each scored in double-figures during the first half. Coleman shot a perfect 5-for-5 from the field while Vasquez and Gaines went a combined 5-for-7 from 3-point range.

Jahvon Quinerly gives the Tigers life

Memphis looked utterly hopeless towards halftime.

It couldn’t stop UAB’s offense no matter what it did, and its own offensive attack had completely sputtered. But Quinerly, the Tigers’ starting point guard, wasn’t fazed. The fifth-year senior instead maintained his usual cool, calm and collected demeanor, and gave his team life just before halftime.

He scored 7 straight points in the final 1:03 of the first half, including a buzzer-beating bomb from the Memphis Tigers logo that cut UAB’s lead to 61-46 at the break. Quinerly finished the game with 25 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 steals on 6-for-14 shooting.

Memphis flips the script. Completely.

Little did we know that Quinerly’s small rally would begin a resounding Memphis comeback, and simultaneously launch of avalanche of terror onto UAB.

The Tigers came out of halftime with all gas and no breaks, and left the Blazers permanently shell-shocked within minutes. They used a 15-2 run (22-2 going back to the first half) in less than four minutes to cut UAB’s lead to 63-61 with 16:43 left to play. Blazers coach Andy Kennedy got so incensed that he got himself ejected from the contest with back-to-back technical fouls.

Memphis then opened things up with a 29-9 run in 9:34 to take a 90-72 lead with 7:06 left to play, and UAB never recovered. David Jones and Nae’Qwan Tomlin combined for 39 points in the second half on 14-for-20 shooting. Jones led the Tigers with 32 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals for the game. And Tomlin wasn’t too far behind with his 28 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals.

Memphis outscored UAB 67-26 in the final 21:15 of the contest.