Malcolm Dandridge brought the ball behind his head with both hands, then hammered it down through the hoop.
Memphis basketball point guard Jahvon Quinerly let out a primal scream, and FedExForum erupted for the first time in a month. An estimated crowd of more than 14,000 had been waiting 30 days to cheer on their Tigers, playing their first home game since Nov. 17.
So, when Memphis (8-2) finished off previously undefeated and 11th-ranked Clemson, 79-77, those cheers rained down in droves. David Jones paced Memphis with 22 points, while Quinerly put up 17. Quinerly added six assists.
Clemson (9-1) had a chance to tie the game with under 10 seconds to play. But All-American candidate PJ Hall’s 3-point try, with Jaykwon Walton guarding him, caromed off the rim and over the backboard with less than 5 seconds on the clock.
Hall led Clemson with 21 points, but Memphis held its second-leading scorer, Joseph Girard III, to just eight points.
Dandridge collected nine rebounds, including the last one of the game. Clemson’s Chase Hunter was at the free throw line with 1.3 seconds left in the game and Memphis up by two points. Hunter missed the free throw on purpose, hoping to give his teammates a chance to secure a rebound and attempt a game-tying shot. But Dandridge came down with a hard-fought rebound to wrap up the victory.
Here are five observations from Saturday’s game.
Even when David Jones is off …
Jones was not his usual self Saturday. Yet the Tigers’ leading scorer still made his mark.
Despite hitting just one 3-pointer on five attempts and making just six of his 14 field goal tries, Jones scored 22 points and grabbed six rebounds. His game at the free-throw line helped, where he made nine out of 12.
Nicholas Jourdain keeping the pressure on
Nicholas Jourdain, like a bolt of lightning, gave Memphis an injection of much needed juice early in the second half.
The Tigers had already fought back from a 39-32 halftime deficit to tie the game at 40 apiece. But Jourdain helped Memphis keep the pedal on the floor.
Joudain’s 3-pointer at the 15:56 mark in the second half put Memphis up 43-40. Then, on the next trip down the floor, he took a charge to get possession back. On the other end, Jourdain corralled an offensive rebound and finished the play with a layup to give Memphis a five-point lead.
Jourdain, who had to manage foul trouble late in the game, finished with 11 points and four rebounds.
The arc − a nemesis
No matter how hard it tried, Memphis was no match for the 3-point line.
Time and time again, the arc imposed its will on the Tigers. In the first half, they made just two 3-pointers in 16 tries. It wasn’t much better in the second half, either.
Memphis was only 2 for 10 after halftime. No Tiger had more than one made three.
Fatigue an issue early
FedExForum was rocking, and Memphis was rolling.
After taking an early punch that put Clemson up 11-2, the Tigers clamped down on defense and started getting downhill on offense. They put together a 17-5 run that put them up 19-16 with 12:19 to play in the first half.
Clemson called timeout to get its bearings, which worked because play didn’t stop again for a whopping 5 minutes, 33 seconds. The long stretch had an effect on both teams, but especially Memphis. Signs of fatigue showed as Clemson regained control with a 13-4 run, which included a 9-0 run that put the visitors up 29-23.
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Nae’Qwan Tomlin in the house
Nae’Qwan Tomlin wasn’t quite ready to suit up for Memphis, but that didn’t stop him from showing up to support his new team.
The 6-foot-10 Kansas State midseason transfer was in his seat (eight rows behind the Tigers’ bench) about an hour before tip-off, mingling with countless fans before and during the game.
Tomlin has not yet been formally admitted to the university. Once he has, he will be eligible to play immediately.
Memphis returns to the floor Tuesday (6 p.m., ESPN2) against Virginia.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at [email protected] or on Twitter @munzly.
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