MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Malcolm Dandridge and Earl Timberlake scored 12 points apiece and Landers Nolley II sank two free throws with 2 seconds left as Memphis held off Tulsa 67-64 in American Athletic Conference action Tuesday night.
Timberlake added eight rebounds for the Tigers (8-5, 2-1), who led 34-25 at halftime and then scored the first six points of the second half. Lester Quinones added 11 points, while Josh Minott grabbed 11 rebounds. Nolley finished with six points and four assists.
Sophomore Sam Griffin came off the bench to score a season-high 25 points, including 16 in the second half for the Golden Hurricane (6-7, 0-2). Jeriah Horne finished with 20 points, 10 in each half. Griffin's 3-pointer pulled Tulsa within a point with 3 seconds left to play.
More on the game here from the University of Memphis:
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A game where each team had double digit leads finished in Memphis’ favor, as the Tigers earned their eighth-straight American Athletic Conference home win with a 67-64 win over the Tulsa Golden Hurricane Tuesday night at FedExForum.
Memphis (8-5, 2-1 AAC) fell behind 10-0 to start the game, then scored 25 of the next 30 points, led by 18 at the start of the second half, and held off the Golden Hurricane when they got within a point with three seconds left.
Malcolm Dandridge and Earl Timberlake led the Tigers with 12 points apiece, and Lester Quinones added 11. Reigning AAC Freshman of the Week Josh Minott grabbed 11 rebounds to go along with seven points, five assists and two steals, and DeAndre Williams contributed nine points and seven rebounds.
After falling behind 10-0 and then 12-3, the Tigers ripped off 15-straight points to lead by six on their way to having a 10-point advantage of their own on two occasions the rest of the half.
The Tigers’ lead ballooned to as large as 18, 46-28, before Tulsa whittled away and had the game within single digits for the final 3:21. A Golden Hurricane 3-pointer brought the contest within one point with three seconds remaining, but Landers Nolley II made two free throws and sealed the victory for Memphis.
Memphis had 17 assists on its 24 field goals, and the Tigers turned over the Golden Hurricane 19 times.
Tulsa (6-7, 0-2 AAC) got 25 points from Sam Griffin and 20 from Jeriah Horne.
UP NEXT
The Tigers welcome Cincinnati to FedExForum Sunday at 2:30 p.m. The game, which is a Blue Out, can be seen on ABC. After Sunday, Memphis hits the road to UCF (Jan. 12) and East Carolina (Jan. 15).
Tickets and mini plans for 2021-22 are available online at www.GoTigersGoTix.com or by phone at (901) 678-2331.
POSTGAME NOTES
Memphis used the starting lineup of Earl Timberlake, Lester Quinones, Josh Minott, DeAndre Williams and Malcolm Dandridge for the first time this season.Minott made his first-career start.The Tigers have now used nine different starting lineups in 13 games this year and in each of the last six games.Eleven different players have started a game this season.Memphis leads the all-time series 30-21.Before tonight, the Golden Hurricane had won three-straight, four of the last five and five of the last seven matchups.Memphis has won 30 of the 40 meetings in the series since Tulsa won the first 11 from 1964-71.Josh Minott filled the stat sheet with career highs in rebounds (11) and assists (5).The 11 rebounds are the second-most by a Tiger in a game this season behind Jalen Duren’s 19 against Western Kentucky (11/19).Minott played a career-high 33 minutes, topping his previous career high of 20 at Wichita State in the last game (1/1).Malcolm Dandridge’s 12 points are a season high, and he made a season-best six field goals.Earl Timberlake has scored 33 points in the last three games.His eight rebounds matched a career high, set three times, including two games ago at Tulane (12/29).Lester Quinones hit three triples and finished with 11 points.Entering the game, Quinones was 0-for-10 from 3-point distance in the last three outings.