Williams & Davis lead Memphis to big AAC win over Cincinnati

The Tigers were coming off of a 10-point win over Wichita State, but they faced a much more formidable foe on Sunday. Memphis traveled to Cincinnati to face the Bearcats, who were second in the American Athletic Conference heading into the matchup.

Fortunately for the Tigers, they were able to control the action for the majority of the game. Deandre Williams and Kendric Davis led the team once again with 26 and 21 points, respectively.

Memphis went into halftime with a 10-point lead as they were able to shut down the best three-point shooting team in the conference. Cincinnati was ice cold from three during the first 20 minutes which allowed the Tigers to build a sizable lead.

Although the Bearcats weren’t able to hit from deep in the first half, they came out firing on all cylinders in the second. Landers Nolley and Jeremiah Davenport both were able to knock down multiple threes as Cincinnati was able to tie the game at 50 in the second half. Despite the run, Memphis was able to take control of the game once again.

Midway through the second half, Davis caught fire and was able to hit big shots and get to the free throw line at will. Once Davis got going, the momentum swung for good. Davis and Williams were able to dominate on the offensive end of the floor to help lead Memphis to the victory.

Overall, it was a very impressive performance for the Tigers as they got a much-needed Quad 2 victory on the road. It never felt like Memphis was truly in danger as they played one of their most complete games of the season.

The only negative for the Tigers in the game was the success that Cincinnati big man Viktor Lakhin was able to have down low. Memphis didn’t have an answer for Lakhin as he racked up 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Memphis constantly switched on Lakhin, and they weren’t able to slow him down regardless of who they put on him. From a speculation standpoint, it appeared that Penny Hardaway was okay with letting Lakhin get good matchups as long as Cincinnati’s shooters weren’t beating them.

Following the win over Cincinnati, Memphis will return to the FedExForum on Thursday to take on SMU.