East Carolina @ Memphis preview
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Last Meeting ( Jan 24, 2021 ) Memphis 80, East Carolina 53
East Carolina did not just pull a major upset with its recent victory over fifth-ranked Houston, it also provided a clear line of sight for others bent on moving to the top of the American Athletic Conference.
Memphis (11-6, 7-3 AAC) will look to continue its upward ascent, this time at the expense of the East Carolina (8-6, 2-6) on Saturday when it plays host to the Pirates.
The Tigers, who have won five of their last six games, find themselves two games behind the first-place Houston after East Carolina pulled off its surprise 82-73 victory over the Cougars on Wednesday.
East Carolina was a combined 13 of 60 from 3-point range in its previous three games before draining 7-of-14 attempts from beyond the arc during the first half against Houston and 11 of 24 in the game.
Jayden Gardner collected 21 points and 15 rebounds, while Tremont Robinson-White added 17 points to help the Pirates taste victory for the first time since Dec. 22. East Carolina had lost five in a row, with three games postponed before its win over the Cougars.
"It's good for the guys because they've stuck with it," East Carolina head coach Joe Dooley said. "It's been a rough month. We had guys in and out with injuries and COVID protocol, so it's been a disjointed month for our whole team.
"... I like to see the guys get rewarded because that's something they've never really experienced since they've been here."
Memphis coach Penny Hardaway did not mince words when discussing the importance of East Carolina's victory over Houston as it relates to a motivating factor for his club.
"With ECU dropping a bomb on the conference by beating (Houston) at home, it puts us right in range," Hardaway said. "Because if we take care of business the next couple games at home, and we're not overlooking anyone, we go (to Houston on Feb. 14) for first place."
Memphis leading scorer Landers Nolley II struggled in the Tigers' 80-53 victory over Pirates on Jan. 24, making just 2-of-7 shots from the floor, including 1-of-5 from 3-point range to finish with five points.
Nolley responded well over the Tigers' last four games, averaging 17.3 points while shooting 52.1 percent from the field. He recorded his first double-double this season with 18 points and 10 rebounds in Memphis' 75-61 win over UCF on Wednesday.
While the Tigers have won five straight games at home and are 8-1 overall at home this season, Hardaway stressed that his team can't get complacent.
"We get bored with success. We'll just stop playing and we'll stop giving effort for a while and then we'll pick it right back up," Hardaway said. "To win the AAC, regular season and AAC championship, you can't have those huge lulls. You can't spot them points."
--Field Level Media