Field Level Media
Jan 22, 2020
Jeriah Horne led five Tulsa double-figure scorers with 21 points, and the host Golden Hurricane overwhelmed No. 20 Memphis with a stifling defense in an 80-40 rout on Wednesday night.
The 40-point margin of defeat marks the Tigers' worst loss since a 103-62 rout at SMU on the last day of the regular season in 2017.
Tulsa (13-6, 5-1 American Athletic Conference), which won its fourth straight game and sits atop the conference, used a series of bursts in the first half to deluge Memphis, most notably with an 18-6 spurt that gave the Golden Hurricane a 20-point lead.
Memphis (14-4, 3-2) failed to whittle into the lead, the result of a poor offense in all phases. The Tigers missed all 10 of their 3-point attempts in the first half and shot 2 of 21 from deep on the night. They were 16 of 56 (28.6 percent) from the floor overall and committed 20 turnovers. Tulsa converted those takeaways into 24 points, and the lead steadily swelled in the second half.
The Golden Hurricane also effectively attacked the paint with 36 points on the interior. Going at Memphis inside also allowed Tulsa to get to the free-throw line for 25 attempts, where it made 18. Memphis finished 6 of 11 from the foul line.
Martins Igbanu and Brandon Rachal both scored 11 points for Tulsa while Darien Jackson and Elijah Joiner each added 10. Teammates Horne grabbed eight rebounds and Igbanu six. Tulsa edged Memphis on the glass, 37-35. Isaiah Hill had five assists for the Golden Hurricane.
Precious Achiuwa led Memphis with 10 points and six rebounds. He was the only Tiger to score in double figures. D.J. Jeffries had eight points, two steals and a team-high three assists.
--Field Level Media