The #19 Memphis Tigers (12-3, 2-0 AAC) may have climbed two places in the latest AP poll, but head coach Penny Hardaway isn’t content with just that. The Tigers pulled off a 68-64 victory against American Athletic Conference opponent North Texas on January 5, but Hardaway walked away from the win disappointed in his team’s focus in the second half.
Entering the second half of Sunday’s game with a 33-32 lead over the Mean Green, Memphis never managed to pull away from their conference foe. Eight second-half turnovers by the Tigers stalled any momentum they tried to build, and eight offensive rebounds by North Texas allowed them to generate second-chance points and keep the game in reach. The Tigers were unable to ice the game until the final ten seconds when guard Colby Rogers sank two free throws to give them a two-possession lead.
Coach Hardaway emphasized the turnovers, and the lack of focus that caused them, in his post-game press conference. He felt that his team were too cocky coming into the matchup with North Texas:
“It just seemed like the mood was that we were just gonna come out and blow them out after we played FAU… it just lets you know how far that we can grow… to really start believing in practice, defense, stops, and all the things that you gotta have to go all the way.”
Hardaway continued by issuing a warning to his team: the attitude needs to change, or close games like the one against North Texas will keep happening:
“Until then, we’re gonna have back-and-forths with teams going on 5-0, 6-0, 7-0, 8-0 runs, and we think we’re just gonna miraculously come back. It didn’t happen against Mississippi State. It didn’t happen against Arkansas State. And it’ll happen to us again where we lose if we don’t come out and get laser-focused from the practices and bring it over to the game.”
North Texas opened the second half with a 5-0 run, turning Memphis’s one-point halftime lead into a four-point deficit. The teams traded baskets throughout the second half, with the largest lead being 7 points by the Tigers at the 12:21 mark of the half.
Penny Hardaway, in his seventh season as the head coach of the Memphis Tigers, is 145-65 during his tenure with the team. A former First Team All-American in his playing days with the Tigers, Hardaway had a 15-year NBA career, where he earned four All Star appearances and was voted to the All-NBA First Team twice.
PJ Haggerty Shines
While Hardaway was critical of his team’s focus in the second half, he also offered praise to one of his stars. Redshirt sophomore PJ Haggerty put up 27 points and 5 rebounds on 11/14 shooting from the field and a perfect 3/3 from beyond the arc, including a wild 30-foot three-pointer with 2:18 to play that extended the Tigers’ lead to six points. Hardaway spoke about his team’s star in the post-game press conference:
“That’s what he does. He has that knack for doing things like that. It was definitely needed because we knew that team was gonna be coming right back at us.”
Haggerty, a preseason All-Conference selection in the American, leads the Tigers in scoring and is 4th nationally, averaging 22.2 points per game.
Memphis Tigers Season Struggles
Turnovers have been a consistent struggle for the Tigers so far this season. Penny Hardaway’s team has turned the ball over 14.5 times per game through 15 games this season, the worst mark in the AAC.
Turnovers played a pivotal role in the Tigers’ upset loss to the Red Wolves of Arkansas State on December 8. Memphis turned the ball over 20 times during the game, including 12 in the first half that helped allow Arkansas State to build a 42-29 lead going into halftime. The Tigers were unable to erase that deficit and ultimately lost 85-72.
The Memphis Tigers’ next matchup comes on Saturday, January 11 at 2:00 P.M. when the Tigers host the East Carolina Pirates. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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