Brooklyn, N.Y. – The University of Memphis Tigers defeated North Carolina State at the Barclays Center Classic during the Thanksgiving holiday , 83-78.
While in his hometown, Freshman Precious Achiuwa showed out with a smooth 15 points and 11 rebounds. That helped elevate his 3rd Triple-Double in a row. Freshman Boogie Ellis created a pathway for 21 points. This young man kept the Tigers on top by orchestrating plays for his teammates to keep the lead throughout the game.
The 1st half was a cool breeze for Tigers , due to them leading 16 by half time 55-39. The Wolf-Pack did their best to come back during the 2nd half by outscoring Tigers 39- 28. Yet, that still wasn’t enough to win against the Memphis Tigers.
Memphis continued to dominate the game even in the 2nd half with a 20 point lead. The team’s offense was on point, but their defensive push kept them on top. For instance, D.J. Jefferies scrambled for a loose ball, then pushed the lead to 61-41. Of course NC State didn’t go down without a fight. They did their best to come back and attack the Tigers by keeping it close. with Markell Johnson led North Carolina State (5-2) with 22 points. Jericole Hellems added 17, and DJ Funderburk had 14.
Trailing by 16 at the start of the second half, the Wolfpack cut it to 75-72 on C.J. Bryce’s free throw with 3:51 left. Again, their deliverance wasn’t enough to win against the Memphis Tigers. They continued to use the fundamentals of defense to adapt to NC State attempting to make a comeback. Memphis fought their way through and earned a W,83-78, over N.C. State Wolf-Pack.
Now back to the behind the scenes of it all……
Most coaches within their 2nd season normally take things slow and by the books. Coach Penny Hardaway continues to prove that dominating the game by allowing his players to shine, helps build the team’s character. Despite the headlines about the NCAA lawsuit, Memphis Tigers are growing into the champions that we all remember from the 1990’s and early 2000’s. We all understand the situation, so we won’t get into it the foolery. Let’s not allow the media to make things into a “Hollywood Like Scandal” too much here. We must think about the Youth and their surroundings. University of Memphis Tigers Basketball program will always rise above the negative headlines and boardroom meetings by dominating within their talents and abilities as Student Athlete.
Memphis returns home Tuesday night to play Bradley at FedExForum. Tip-off is 8 p.m.
