The Memphis Tigers have racked up payback victories against teams such as Tulane and Florida Atlantic. The latest on the list was the UAB Blazers, a team that handed the Tigers one of their worst defeats of the season.
Like the Florida Atlantic matchup, the game had a familiar tone. The first half consisted of a back-and-forth battle as both teams held the lead briefly. However, it was UAB that had the momentum on their side. The Blazers built up a comfortable 61-46 lead in the half. To start the second half of Sunday’s game, the Tigers went on the most impressive run they have been on this season. They would go on to erase UAB’s 15-point lead.
However, the Tigers erased the deficit at a very efficient pace. Memphis’s dominant second-half surge was so unbearable that UAB head coach Andy Kennedy went into full meltdown mode, leading to his eventual ejection from Sunday’s game. With 14:27 left in the second half, the Tigers would take a 69-68 lead and never look back. They would ascend to a 106-87 victory over the Blazers.
With Sunday’s win, the Tigers now have sole possession of fourth place in the AAC standings, meaning they only need to play three games instead of four to repeat as conference champions. Here are four takeaways from Sunday’s action.
A Tale of Two-Halves
Most of the Memphis fan base thought they would no longer see a version of the team that seemed disjointed from start to finish during their back-to-back losses against North Texas and SMU. A glimpse of that team would again show its ugly head in the first half against UAB. The Tigers did everything imaginable to allow UAB to control the flow of this game. The Blazers’ field goal percentage for most of the first half was 67.9, while the Tigers had 38.5.
But in the second half, the Tigers reverted to the team that had won their last three games, including a 24-point victory over East Carolina. “I adjusted to the zone, put David Jones in the middle, added a baseline runner, and defensively, we were going to man up, no switching, just guard the yard, and we started to get steals.” Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway on the adjustments that were made to disrupt UAB’s rhythm.
The second-half rally by Memphis is a testament to how dangerous the squad can be when everything falls into place. The Tigers would become the only second team in college basketball since 2010 to trail by 20 and win the same game by 15.
Nae’Qwan Tomlin’s Domination Continues
Mid-season transfer portal talent Nae’Qwan Tomlin continues to be a game-changer since being added to the starting lineup. He finished the day by scoring a career-high 28 points, two steals, one block, and seven rebounds. Sunday’s outing was the third straight game in which the former Kansas State Wildcat had scored 20 points or more. If the Tigers can reach where they want to be, they can point back to when Tomlin was inserted into the starting five. The Harlem, New York native has filled the void that DeAndre Williams left behind.
Jahvon Quinerly: The Catalyst
“You have to carry us until everyone gets going.” That was Coach Hardaway’s remark to his starting point guard, Jahvon Quinerly. If you can point out where the Tigers were on the verge of going on a 46-9 run in the second half, it was Quinerly’s converted three-point shot going into halftime that was the boost the team needed. However, Quinerly’s production kept Memphis afloat before the Tigers’ late surge. He finished third on the team, scoring 25 points, four assists, two steals, and three rebounds.
Yaxel Lendeborg Contained
In the first meeting, UAB center Yaxel Lendeborg played a significant role in the 97-88 victory over Memphis. Lendeborg torched Memphis by dropping 23 points, two blocks, and grabbing 16 rebounds. In the rematch, that was not the case. While Lendeborg was efficient at the rim, he was not the difference maker we saw in the Blazers’ 11-point victory over the Tigers. The former Memphis transfer portal target finished the day with only six points and eight rebounds.
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