The University of Memphis basketball team grabbed an 88-81 victory in a sold-out Bartow Arena game against rivals, University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB).
In the teams' first meeting in Memphis, the Tigers throttled UAB 100-77, but Sunday, things were different. UAB entered the game as a 1.5-point favorite (FanDuel).
Memphis got off to a slow start, trailing the Blazers 20-10 with 9:53 remaining in the first half, but two Tigers, Dain Dainja and Colby Rogers, gave their team instant impact from the tip.
Dainja, who has amassed a rivalry with UAB star forward Yaxel Lendonberg, grabbed 11 first-half rebounds with 10 points.
Dainja told reporters in February, “I’m trying to win a national championship; I’m not worried about self-achievement.” The former Illinois and Baylor big man has won everywhere he has gone, and his first-half effort showed Dainja's way to winning.
Rogers knocked down three shots from deep, which helped keep the Tigers in the game.
Despite the impressive half from the two, the Tigers trailed 42-36 at the break.
Nine turnovers and 12 fouls were emblematic of Memphis's undisciplined first half.
Lendeborg totaled three fouls, which sent him to the sideline early and often.
Second Half:
Rogers began the second half the same way he ended the first: by knocking down a contested three.
But UAB's shot-making made it nearly impossible for Memphis to grab momentum from the home team for the first portion of the second half.
The back-and-forth nature of this raucous game saw both teams pushing the pace in transition and efficiently knocking down shots.
PJ Haggerty's 17 second-half points helped him total his 20th 20+ point game of the season as he finished the contest with 25 points.
Nicholas Jourdain's legacy-defining second half saw him grab four rebounds and score nine points, including this emphatic putback dunk that all but sealed the Blazers' fate.
Guard PJ Carter scored zero points on 0/3 shooting but left a lasting impact on the game. His second-half defensive effort changed the game's tone and led to the Tigers stringing together stops for the first time.
Ultimately, the Tigers' late-game shotmaking was too much for the Blazers.
Memphis will travel to UTSA on Tuesday, March 4th, before finishing the season at home against South Florida on March 7th.
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