Tigers Outlast Tulane 96-95 in OT to Clinch American Tournament Spot
NEW ORLEANS – Memphis refused to let its season end quietly.
Quante Berry delivered the final word, sinking two free throws with 2.3 seconds remaining in overtime to lift the Tigers to a dramatic 96-95 win over Tulane Sunday afternoon inside Avron B. Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse.
Rowan Brumbaugh’s desperation heave from near midcourt at the buzzer fell short, allowing Memphis to escape New Orleans with a win that keeps its season alive and secures a spot in the American Conference Tournament.
The victory snapped a seven-game losing streak for the Tigers (13-18, 8-10 American Conference) and locked them into the No. 8 seed in the league tournament, where they will face No. 9 Tulane again Wednesday night in Birmingham at 6 p.m. on ESPNEWS.
Berry finished with a team-high 22 points, going 6-of-12 from the field and 8-of-10 from the free throw line, including the decisive pair that sealed the win. Dug McDaniel added 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Thierno Sylla chipped in 17 as the Tigers shot 51.6 percent from the floor.
Memphis spent much of the afternoon chasing the game. Tulane carried a 40-31 lead into halftime after building an 11-point first-half cushion.
The Tigers flipped the script after the break.
Memphis opened the second half with a surge and didn’t take its first lead until Curtis Givens III knocked down a three-pointer with 13:54 remaining to make it 51-48. From there, the Tigers continued to push, eventually building what appeared to be a comfortable 80-71 advantage with less than two minutes remaining.
Tulane answered with a furious late push.
Behind Brumbaugh, who finished with a game-high 31 points, the Green Wave closed regulation on a 10-1 run. KJ Green’s layup with 13 seconds left tied the game at 81 and McDaniel’s three-point attempt in the final seconds missed, sending the contest to overtime.
The extra period delivered another round of swings.
Aaron Bradshaw provided a key spark with two old-fashioned three-point plays in the final minutes and Zach Davis added a steal and layup to keep Memphis within reach.
Brumbaugh gave Tulane a 95-94 lead with a mid-range jumper in the final seconds of overtime, but Berry answered on the next possession. Driving into the lane, he drew contact and calmly knocked down both free throws to put Memphis ahead for good.
Tulane’s final attempt from the logo missed, sealing the Tigers’ escape.
Memphis finished with 15 assists on 32 made field goals and topped the 50 percent shooting mark for the sixth time this season, including the fifth time in conference play.
The Tigers and Green Wave will meet again in just three days, when Memphis faces Tulane in the opening round of the American Conference Tournament Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT on ESPNEWS inside Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.
POSTGAME NOTES
Starting Five: Memphis opened with a starting lineup of Dug McDaniel, Quante Berry, Julius Thedford, Zach Davis and Aaron Bradshaw. It’s the second-straight game that group has started. Shooting: Memphis shot 51.6 percent from the field (32-of-62) and went 7-of-19 from the three-point line (36.8%) while knocking down 25-of-36 at the free-throw line (69.4%). Turnovers: Memphis committed 13 turnovers and scored a season-low eight points off Tulane’s eight miscues. Defense: The Tigers allowed the Green Wave to shoot 49.3percent overall (36-of-73), including a 50.0-percent mark in the first half. Memphis also recorded six steals and six blocks.
Bench Production: The Tigers’ bench scored 28 points, while the Green Wave got just 10 from their reserves.
Rebounding: Memphis won the rebounding battle, 41-32, including a 15-12 edge on the offensive end.
Ball Movement: Memphis recorded 15 assists in the win, led by McDaniel’s six.
Quante Berry led the Tigers with 22 points, three rebounds and three assists in a season-high 38 minutes.
The Cleveland, Tennessee product finished 6-of-12 from the floor and hit a career high 8-of-10 at the free throw line.
It’s his fifth double-digit performance of the season and the fourth 20-point game of his career.
He now has two 22-point efforts in his last four games.
Dug McDaniel recorded 20 points, seven rebounds and six dimes in a season-high 45 minutes.
He was 8-of-15 from the field and scored 16 of his points after halftime.
It’s his 22nd game of the season with double digits and sixth game with 20-plus points, including in three of his last four.
Thierno Sylla had his best game of the season with 17 points, four rebounds and three blocks in 30 minutes off the bench.
He was 5-of-6 shooting and 7-of-13 at the charity stripe.
Zach Davis added 11 points, eight rebounds and three assists, while Aaron Bradshaw also totaled 11 points and three boards.
David is averaging 14.0 points and 8.0 rebounds over his last two outings.
Curtis Givens III finished with nine points and three rebounds in 38 minutes.
Memphis extended its win streak to 18 games when scoring 90-plus points in a game.