Written by Adrian Beecher
ORLANDO, Fla. - Kareem Brewton Jr. hit a floater triple at the buzzer to send Memphis to the Semifinals. Memphis and Tulsa battled back and forth throughout, with Tulsa overcoming multiple double-digit deficit's. Here's how it all went down in the AAC mens Basketball quarterfinals.
Tulsa would draw first blood as Corey Henderson Jr. scored on a jumper to get things going. Shortly after, Memphis struck back as Raynere Thornton hit a triple to give the Tigers their first lead of the game.
Henderson Jr.'s next basket for the Hurricane would start a 9-2 run that would Tulsa up 11-5 with 13:39 left in the first half. Then things started to get a bit topsy-turvy for the fourth-seeded Golden Hurricane.
Over the next eight minute and eight seconds, the bottom fell out of Tulsa's offense. Memphis went on an 18-3 run over that period to take a 23-14 lead. In the final five minutes, the script flipped as the bottom fell out of the Tigers offense.
Memphis would only score 3 points in the final five minutes. This allowed Tulsa to cut it to a one-point deficit the as Golden Hurricane finished the game with an 11-3 run. As the teams headed to the locker room, Memphis held a 26-25 lead on the 4th seeded Hurricane.
At the half, the scoring leader for Memphis was Jamal Johnson with nine points. For Tulsa it was Sterling Taplin leading the way with 9 points. The Tigers shot 47.4% from the field while holding Tulsa to just 29.6% from the field.
Tusla continued their momentum from the first half, hitting the first basket of the second half as Corey Henderson Jr. hit a jumper. This gave the Hurricane the lead, which Memphis would immediately regain on the next possession off a layup from Mike Parks Jr.
This was a start of a 12-2 run over the next five minutes that gave the Tigers a 38-29 lead with 15: 19 left in regulation. Slowly, but surely Memphis started to pull away. The Tiger lead grew to it's largest of the game with 11:07 left to play as Jamal Johnson hit a triple to make it 45-34.
Despite the second half struggles, Tulsa was not going to go away quietly. Led by Corey Henderson Jr., the Hurricane went on a 13-2 run to tie the game up at 50 with 7:32 left in the game. On the run, Henderson Jr. made seven of the teams 12 points.
Things heated up as the two teams traded punches fighting for their tournament lives. Memphis pulled back out to a four-point lead before Tulsa hit a basket and then Henderson Jr. hit a triple to put the Hurricance back on top 55-54 with 5:24 left to play.
In a game of leapfrog, Memphis regained the lead at 60-59 with 1:52 left to play as Parks Jr. put in a layup. Then down on the other end of the floor, a foul would send Junior Etou to the line for two shots that he would sink one of to tie things up.
On the rebound, Kareem Brewton Jr. secured the rebound but was fouled an sent to the line. He only hit one of two as well to regain the lead for Memphis at 61-60. Following the trend, Henderson Jr. hit just one of two as well on the other end to tie things up. However, the rebound was secured by Tulsa, and Henderson Jr. hit a jumper to give the Hurricane the lead.
On the ensuing possession, Kyvon Davenport hit a triple and was fouled. The triple gave the lead back to Memphis at 64-63, but the missed shot was rebounded by Tulsa with under 30 seconds left to play.
The Hurricane called a timeout to think it over. Out of the timeout, Martins Igbanu found his way to the free throw line with just 3.5 seconds left to play. On the first shot, Igbanu hit the front end of the basket. The second shot hit the bottom of the next to tie things up at 64.
Memphis final possession saw Kareem Brewton Jr. take the inbound pass up the court. As he got just outside the three-point line, Brewton Jr. put up a floater that found the bottom of the basket to seal the game for the Tigers and move them onto the AAC Men's Basketball Tournament Semi-finals with a matchup against Cincinnati.
Tulsa would draw first blood as Corey Henderson Jr. scored on a jumper to get things going. Shortly after, Memphis struck back as Raynere Thornton hit a triple to give the Tigers their first lead of the game.
Henderson Jr.'s next basket for the Hurricane would start a 9-2 run that would Tulsa up 11-5 with 13:39 left in the first half. Then things started to get a bit topsy-turvy for the fourth-seeded Golden Hurricane.
Over the next eight minute and eight seconds, the bottom fell out of Tulsa's offense. Memphis went on an 18-3 run over that period to take a 23-14 lead. In the final five minutes, the script flipped as the bottom fell out of the Tigers offense.
Memphis would only score 3 points in the final five minutes. This allowed Tulsa to cut it to a one-point deficit the as Golden Hurricane finished the game with an 11-3 run. As the teams headed to the locker room, Memphis held a 26-25 lead on the 4th seeded Hurricane.
At the half, the scoring leader for Memphis was Jamal Johnson with nine points. For Tulsa it was Sterling Taplin leading the way with 9 points. The Tigers shot 47.4% from the field while holding Tulsa to just 29.6% from the field.
Tusla continued their momentum from the first half, hitting the first basket of the second half as Corey Henderson Jr. hit a jumper. This gave the Hurricane the lead, which Memphis would immediately regain on the next possession off a layup from Mike Parks Jr.
This was a start of a 12-2 run over the next five minutes that gave the Tigers a 38-29 lead with 15: 19 left in regulation. Slowly, but surely Memphis started to pull away. The Tiger lead grew to it's largest of the game with 11:07 left to play as Jamal Johnson hit a triple to make it 45-34.
Despite the second half struggles, Tulsa was not going to go away quietly. Led by Corey Henderson Jr., the Hurricane went on a 13-2 run to tie the game up at 50 with 7:32 left in the game. On the run, Henderson Jr. made seven of the teams 12 points.
Things heated up as the two teams traded punches fighting for their tournament lives. Memphis pulled back out to a four-point lead before Tulsa hit a basket and then Henderson Jr. hit a triple to put the Hurricance back on top 55-54 with 5:24 left to play.
In a game of leapfrog, Memphis regained the lead at 60-59 with 1:52 left to play as Parks Jr. put in a layup. Then down on the other end of the floor, a foul would send Junior Etou to the line for two shots that he would sink one of to tie things up.
On the rebound, Kareem Brewton Jr. secured the rebound but was fouled an sent to the line. He only hit one of two as well to regain the lead for Memphis at 61-60. Following the trend, Henderson Jr. hit just one of two as well on the other end to tie things up. However, the rebound was secured by Tulsa, and Henderson Jr. hit a jumper to give the Hurricane the lead.
On the ensuing possession, Kyvon Davenport hit a triple and was fouled. The triple gave the lead back to Memphis at 64-63, but the missed shot was rebounded by Tulsa with under 30 seconds left to play.
The Hurricane called a timeout to think it over. Out of the timeout, Martins Igbanu found his way to the free throw line with just 3.5 seconds left to play. On the first shot, Igbanu hit the front end of the basket. The second shot hit the bottom of the next to tie things up at 64.
Memphis final possession saw Kareem Brewton Jr. take the inbound pass up the court. As he got just outside the three-point line, Brewton Jr. put up a floater that found the bottom of the basket to seal the game for the Tigers and move them onto the AAC Men's Basketball Tournament Semi-finals with a matchup against Cincinnati.