Every road environment that the Memphis Tigers have entered has a ruckus-type vibe. The narrative has been dubbed as the Tigers being the opposing team’s “Super Bowl.” This time, it was the opposite. The long-awaited rematch from last year’s NCAA tournament between the Memphis Tigers and the Florida Atlantic Owls finally came to pass. The first matchup between Memphis and Florida Atlantic was played on the Tigers’ home turf at FedEx Forum. A lot has transpired between now and last season’s battle for both programs.
The Owls have entered the American Athletic Conference with the same level of consistency they had while they were members of Conference USA. As for the Tigers, their season has taken a turn for the worse as they have incurred multiple losing streaks, which has caused their tournament hopes to be in jeopardy.
The game had the same intensity level as in the first round of last year’s tournament battle. In the first half, forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin led all Memphis scorers with 11 points. FAU center Vladislav Goldin seemed unguardable; he led the Owls with 22 points in Sunday’s affair. His teammate Johnell Davis was the second leading scorer with 20. The notion was that the Tigers would significantly struggle without the presence of their primary big man, Malcolm Dandridge. The former East High School star is not allowed to play due to an ongoing investigation of alleged academic misconduct.
Memphis would go on to adjust smoothly without having the presence of a conventional big man to contend with Goldin. But this is where adding Tomlin to the starting lineup came into play. The former K-State transfer recorded his best performance of the season when he scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds. However, with each Memphis win, David Jones will be mentioned for contributing to the victory. Jones torched the Owls for 25 points and grabbed eight boards.
Jahvon Quinerly and Jaykwon Walton combined for 25 points in Sunday’s matchup. The game lived up to its preseason billing as both teams gained the lead multiple times throughout the contest. However, this time, Memphis would have the final laugh as they held on to defeat the Owls 78-74. An interesting statistic in today’s game was the Tigers’ ability to force turnovers; it’s usually the other way around.
The Tigers only committed six turnovers compared to the Owls’ 13. Memphis was also efficient at defending the perimeter as well. Florida Atlantic only connected on seven out of 28 three-point attempts. The by-committee approach to containing Goldin could have been more effective, but the Tigers’ primary mission was to leave FedEx Forum as the winner. They went out and did just that against their latest opponent.
What Lies Ahead?
After a two-game home stand, the Tigers head back on the road to face East Carolina on Thursday.
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