Memphis Downs North Texas 57-48 to Begin American Play
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis closed out 2025 on a positive note, opening American Conference play with a wire-to-wire 57-48 win over North Texas Wednesday afternoon at FedExForum. The Tigers earned their second-straight victory to move to 6-7 overall and 1-0 in league action.
The Tigers (6-7, 1-0 American) never trailed, but the afternoon was far from polished. Offensively uneven and turnover-prone, Memphis relied on sustained defensive pressure to offset a choppy flow that included 20 turnovers and just five made three-pointers. Memphis finished 24-of-51 from the field (47.1 percent) but went only 4-of-15 at the free-throw line and failed to reach 60 points for the first time since a neutral-site game against Stanford in November 2022.
Defense ultimately told the story. Memphis held North Texas to 48 points, the fewest allowed by the Tigers in more than three seasons. The Mean Green endured a historically rough night from beyond the arc, finishing 1-of-18 (5.6 percent), matching the lowest three-point percentage Memphis has allowed since the 2020 season. North Texas also committed 18 turnovers, five above its season average, and struggled to generate any sustained offensive rhythm.
Zach Davis provided the most consistent production for Memphis, scoring 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting while adding a team-high six rebounds. Sincere Parker followed with 10 points on an efficient 5-of-6 effort, helping the Tigers’ bench account for 36 of the 57 points. Dug McDaniel led the starters with nine points to go along with six assists and four rebounds.
Memphis struck early, opening the game by hitting six of its first 11 shots to build a 14-4 advantage midway through the first half. The momentum stalled soon after, as the Tigers endured a prolonged cold stretch and allowed North Texas to chip away. A late Mean Green push cut the margin to three before Memphis steadied itself in the closing minutes of the half, taking a 30-20 lead into the break.
North Texas briefly threatened again early in the second half, trimming the deficit to seven, but Memphis answered with its most decisive stretch of the afternoon. Parker’s driving layup midway through the period capped a run that pushed the lead to 52-36, the Tigers’ largest advantage. Though North Texas closed the game on a modest run, the outcome was never truly in doubt.
North Texas was led by Je’Shawn Stevenson’s 20 points, six rebounds and three steals.
POSTGAME NOTES
Starting Five: Memphis opened with a starting lineup of Dug McDaniel, Julius Thedford, Ashton Hardaway, William Whorton and Tariq Ingraham.It is the team’s 10th different starting lineup in 13 games. Shooting: Memphis shot 47.1 percent (24-of-51) from the floor, its third-highest percentage of the season.After combining for 22 made three-pointers over the last two games, the Tigers hit just 5-of-18 (27.8%) against the Mean Green. Turnovers: Memphis committed 20 turnovers, which North Texas converted into 13 points. Defense: Memphis held North Texas 37.5 percent shooting (21-of-56) and forced 18 turnovers.The Tigers turned those miscues into 13 points.The 48 points allowed were the fewest since holding Stanford to 48 on Nov. 27, 2022. Memphis limited North Texas to a 1-for-18 night from three-point range, just a 5.6 percentage. It’s the lowest three-point percentage allowed by Memphis since holding Saint Mary’s to 5.6 percent on Nov. 25, 2020 (1-of-18). Bench Production: Memphis got 36 points from its bench, compared to just six from North Texas.It marked the eighth game this season with 35+ bench points after the Tigers recorded just one such game over the previous three seasons combined.
Rebounding: Memphis outrebounded North Texas 38-30 and pulled down 13 offensive rebounds.The Tigers have now recorded nine or more offensive rebounds in 27 consecutive games, tied for the longest active streak in Division I. Memphis scored 13 second-chance points.
Ball Movement: Memphis dished out 16 assists while committing 20 turnovers, its fifth time this season recorded at least 15 dimes. Zach Davis scored a team-high 12 points and grabbed a team-high six rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench. Ten of his points came after halftime.Four of his boards were on the offensive, end which match a season best.Davis also two steals, his fourth game of the year with multiple thefts. Sincere Parker was the only other Tiger in double figures with 10 points in 15 minutes off the bench.Six of his points came in the second half. Dug McDaniel added nine points, a game-high six assists, four rebounds and two steals in 34 minutes.It’s his most assists in five games combining for just 10 in the last four outings. Julius Thedford totaled seven points, while Curtis Givens III and Aaron Bradshaw each added five. Tariq Ingraham and William Whorton each earned their first starts as a Tiger. Memphis entered the game having had at least one player reach 15 points in 54-consecutive games, which was the seventh-longest streak in the country. That streak ended Wednesday and oddly enough, the last time the Tigers didn’t have a 15-point scorer was also against North Texas on Feb. 15, 2024.
UP NEXT
Memphis heads to Houston, Texas, next to face Rice on Saturday, Jan. 3, with tipoff set for 2 p.m. on ESPN+. The Tigers will then have a brief break before returning to action at Florida Atlantic on Jan. 11.