Memphis took care of business in their first big test of the season, defeating Missouri 70-55. After going down at the break, the Tigers used a huge second half to put the game away.
Here’s our recap of the Memphis win, which moved them to 2-0 on the young season.
Game Recap
This matchup didn’t start in the best of ways for Memphis. Missouri jumped out to a 29-15 lead with 6:45 to go in the first half, their largest of the game. The home Tigers connected on 12 of their first 24 field goal attempts in the game’s opening 15 minutes. The road Tigers, on the other hand, opened shooting just seven for their first 18.
They once again started a unique starting five, with Louisiana transfer big and Florida State transfer guard running with the bench unit. Penny Hardaway and Rick Stansbury unexpectedly inserted Nick Jourdain and Malcolm Dandridge into the starting rotation for a second consecutive game.
Senior guard Sean East II scored 14 first-half points, shooting five for eight from the floor and connecting on two three-pointers. He was able to break down the Memphis defense and create his shot with ease.
Memphis would end the game’s opening 20-minute period on a good note, closing the half on a 12-4 run to close the deficit to seven at the halftime buzzer. From there, it was all Memphis.
Memphis’ Big Second Half
Memphis started the second half on a 12-2 run and never looked back. They outscored Missouri 44 to 22 in the second half on their way to a 15-point victory. The Tigers shot a blistering 16 for 31 from the floor in the last 20 minutes and connected on five threes. They also held Missouri to 5-26 shooting in the second half.
The senior duo of Jahvon Quinerly and Jordan Brown led the charge for Memphis. Quinerly was fantastic in this one, scoring 18 points on 7-10 shooting from the floor and 2-4 from three. He added eight rebounds, five assists, and three steals in a dominant all-around performance. If Memphis wants to go all the way, this is the Jahvon Quinerly they will need manning the point guard position.
Brown chipped in 12 points off the bench for Memphis, with his size being too much for Missouri to handle. Without Connor Vanover, they struggled to handle the physicality of the 2022-23 Lou Henson Award winner on the interior. Brown shot 6-10 from the floor, collected five rebounds, and added two steals on the night. He took advantage of Missouri’s lack of size in the frontcourt, who didn’t start a player taller than 6’7.
Jaykwon Walton and David Jones were the two other players in double digits. Walton scored 13 points and connected on 3-5 three-point attempts, while Jones had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
With their pressure defense and transition play, Memphis was able to pull away from Missouri in an impressive overall showing.
Up Next
The Tigers have a week off before facing their second SWAC opponent, Alabama State. The Hornets are 0-2 on the young season with losses to Ole Miss and Iowa on the road. Ole Miss struggled to pull away from ASU, while Iowa had no trouble handling business.
We’ll see which version of Alabama State Memphis will see on Friday, November 17 at 7 p.m. C.T. The game will be played inside the FedEx Forum, and ESPN+ will have the coverage.
