Bryant @ Memphis preview

Memphis looks to improve on the offensive end of the court and continue its winning ways when Bryant pays a visit on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers have won two straight and five of the past six games.

While Memphis is averaging 69 points per game, the Tigers are hitting just 41.3 percent from the floor and 26.2 percent from behind the 3-point line. They will face a Bryant defense that has allowed opponents to hit 48 percent from the floor and 40.2 percent from beyond the arc while yielding 81.4 points per game. The Tigers have managed to keep games close thanks to their play on defense, allowing 69.4 points and holding their opponents to 42.6 percent from the floor. Memphis is also averaging 5.7 steals per game and forcing 13.9 turnovers per game.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, ESPN3

ABOUT BRYANT (1-8): The Bulldogs are riding a four-game losing streak, looking for some consistency to their game as just two players have started all nine games - leading scorers Adam Grant and Ikenna Ndugba. Grant and Ndugba combine for 43.9 percent of the Bryant offense, averaging 28.8 points between them. Bosko Kostur and Sabastian Townes are the only other players on the roster averaging more than six points per game, both at 11.4 point.

ABOUT MEMPHIS (5-2): The Tigers have been coming through in the clutch lately, pulling out close victories in three of the past four games. Freshman guard Jamal Johnson, who is averaging 6.9 points per game coming off the bench, converted a three-point play with 2.5 seconds left last time out to lift Memphis to victory - sinking the free throw for a 65-64 victory against Samford. During a double-overtime victory against Mercer last Saturday, leading scorer Jeremiah Martin (16.9 points) sank a pair of free throws with three seconds left to seal it.

TIP-INS

1. Martin reached double figures in all seven games for Memphis and has scored at least 15 in six consecutive games.

2. The Tigers have not shot above 50 percent from the field in any game this season, with 48.2 their best single-game shooting mark this season.

3. Ndugba, a sophomore G, has hit double digits in scoring in seven consecutive games.

PREDICTION: Memphis 78, Bryant 70