By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo: William Purnell-Imagn Images
No. 16 Memphis Tigers lost a tough game on the road against Wichita State, 84-79—one of the biggest upsets of Sunday in College Basketball.
Quincy Ballard led the Shockers with 19 points. Moussa Cisse is the unsung hero, as he came up big time off the bench for the Shockers with 12 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks. Corey Washington added 18 points and 15 rebounds.
It’s the Tigers’ first loss since Jan 16 against Temple. The Tigers had a chance to move up to a No. 4 or No. 5 seed, but this loss cost them that opportunity.
It was a tense, physical game between both teams. The Tigers had the lead in overtime by 75-71. However, the Shockers shocked the Tigers by answering back with buckets.
The Tigers shot poorly in overtime. They went 1 for eight from the field and shot 36 percent overall from the floor, while the Shockers shot 40 percent.
Senior Tyrese Hunter led the Tigers with 24 points. He hit four three-pointers in this game.
Tigers got outrebounded by nine points and allowed 19 offensive boards. You can’t win basketball games if you don’t win the rebounding game. This made the difference in Sunday’s game.
The Shockers made better adjustments, which is a massive win for the program. Despite a down season, the team is resilient and a proud program.
In the first 12 minutes of the game, the Tigers were outplaying the Shockers by sharing the ball and making wise decisions. The Shockers came out better prepared in the second half and overtime and picked up the urgency.
The Tigers were dominated in the paint by the Shockers. The Tigers missed many shots and didn’t have an answer for the Shockers’ offense. Their defense wasn’t horrendous, but it could’ve been better.
The Tigers fall to (21-5, 11-2 AAC). Who will they play next? The Tigers will play at home versus FAU on Sunday at 1 pm EST.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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