Memphis comes to grips with meltdown
Tigers expect tough practices to correct late-game offense
HARTFORD, Conn., - Sophomore Craig Randall said Memphis Coach Tubby Smith walked into the visitor’s locker room at the XL Center, before the second-half meltdown that caused the Tigers to suffer a 65-62 loss to Connecticut Thursday night had really sunk in, and delivered a straightforward warning: “This one is going to sting.”
Like everyone else, he watched how the final 15 minutes of regulation unfolded, when Memphis looked helpless at times while squandering a 15point lead. Combined with last Sunday’s loss to Temple, when the Tigers went nearly 11 minutes without scoring a point, it represented a nadir for his first campaign at Memphis.
After months of covering up this group’s flaws, they were all exposed at the worst possible time and nobody left Hartford, Conn., blameless. So Smith didn’t need to mention what practice would be like when the Tigers return to the court following an off weekend in which coaches will be canvassing the country recruiting prospects to help solve some of these issues going forward.
“I know Coach is probably going to plan for us to go through some lategame situations where we’re either up or down trying to get back or keep the lead,” Randall said. “We just got to work on not turning the ball over and staying poised in times like that.”
The breakdowns, however, seemed all too similar to what has plagued Memphis in recent weeks. Following a first half in which they shot 48.8 percent from the floor while attacking UConn’s array of defenses, the Tigers stopped attacking and got “passive,” according to Smith. In trying to protect a double-digit lead, they sped up the process of coughing it up.
Over the final 14:44 of the second half, once sophomore Dedric Lawson delivered the Tigers a 49-34 lead with a threepointer, Memphis committed nine turnovers and had just four field goals aside from a meaningless dunk from forward Jimario Rivers right before the final buzzer. Lawson, the team’s leading scorer this year, did not score again.
Even when Smith called a timeout with 47 seconds left on the clock and UConn ahead 61-60, Memphis couldn’t find a shot until Lawson attempted a contested baseline jumper that resulted in an airball and shot clock violation.
In all, Memphis attempted eight shots that came with fewer than seven seconds remaining on the shot clock over the final 12 minutes. Smith noted in his postgame news conference that UConn Coach Kevin Ollie made a wise move by switching almost exclusively to a 2-3 zone after halftime and, “we seem to have a tough time against halfcourt defenses, especially against zones.” UConn scored 18 points off Memphis turnovers just in the second half.
“I thought we got the ball to people, but I could see a little panic when they came and got back in the game,” Smith said. “We just didn’t execute in the lategame situation. With the time and score, you’ve got to be able to make the fundamental plays and not have mental lapses.”
What made these problems more frustrating was how easy Memphis made it look during the first half. It shot 48.8 percent from the floor and led by as much as 17 points. Randall was stroking three-pointers and seven different players scored at least two points. But when UConn adjusted at halftime, the Tigers had no answer.
On defense, meanwhile, the matchup zone Memphis used in the first half to thwart UConn’s dribble penetration worked wonders in the first half. But the Huskies shot 56 percent after halftime and Smith cited “defensive breakdowns in the second half that really cost us the game” as a bigger concern than the stagnant offense. Five of UConn’s final six field goals were either dunks or lay-ups.
The players that were willing to speak with reporters after the game -- Randall and point guard Jeremiah Martin -- described a postgame scene featuring a mixture of disappointment and anger. Both said the offensive woes simply came down to missed shots, despite the mounting evidence that one of this team’s primary deficiencies is its lack of consistent shooters. But they nonetheless remained resolute with Memphis facing its first losing skid of the season.
Though the Tigers have dropped three of their past four games, and a matchup at No. 18 Cincinnati awaits next Thursday, they believed redemption was still just one shot away. No matter how gruesome the past week may have been for the trajectory of this season.
“That was a good game for us,” Martin insisted. “Even though we didn’t win, it was good for us because the atmosphere, coming back down here for conference tournament, I know next time, the game’s like that, the crowd’s on the other team’s side, we’ll respond better.”