Memphis edges Yale in double OT

Just after point guard Alex Lomax finished a driving layup with 2:11 remaining in double overtime, Memphis coach Penny Hardaway spun around, clenched both fists, and gave a smirk to the fans sitting behind the team’s bench.

Finally, after 50 minutes, 11 ties and 17 lead changes, the game felt in hand. The basket gave the Tigers a seven-point lead that held for the remaining two minutes of Memphis’ thrilling 109-102 double-overtime win over Yale Saturday night.

The pivotal moments

One-for-two. That’s what Memphis senior Kyvon Davenport shot from the freethrow line to tie the game in the final seconds of the first overtime.

Three-for-three.

That’s what freshman guard Tyler Harris shot from the free-throw line to tie the game at the end of regulation.

“That was one of the hardest moments of my life,” Harris said. “Really, what I did — I just prayed to God before I shot every free throw. He came through for me.”

Davenport missed his first shot from the free-throw line with 3.8 seconds remaining, which forced the senior to make the second to extend the game.

“Tyler kept telling me, ‘Bro, pray to God, just pray to God,’” Davenport said. “I was like, ‘all right.’ So I prayed like Tyler said, and I hit my second one.”

Closing the gap

Yale guard Azar Swain buried a deep 3-point shot with 1:39 remaining the second half.

As the sophomore watched the ball go through the net, he spun around and placed his hands on his face to signal that he had put the game to bed. The celebration was premature.

Memphis’ Jeremiah Martin and Kareem Brewton Jr. brought the Tigers within one basket after consecutive layups.

After Yale missed free throw, the Tigers got the ball back down by three with 14 seconds remaining.

Harris missed his first game-tying 3point shot in the closing seconds, but Memphis kept the ball after it went out of bounds. He was fouled on his second game-tying try, sending the freshman to the free-throw line for the three shots that sent the contest into overtime.

Yale’s Alex Copeland scored all 13 of the Bulldogs’ points in the first overtime, but was held to just three points in the second overtime. Copeland and Harris finished with a game-high 22 points.

Hardaway said the celebration in the locker room after the game was “all you could think” and described it as “mayhem.”

No quit in Yale

Yale made five of its first six shots from 3-point range.

“We missed a couple of assignments on some of their shooters,” Hardaway said. “We didn’t close out properly and we went under the screen on (Swain) and he made every one of them.”

But the Bulldogs couldn’t keep that pace. Memphis held Yale to 7-of-23 shooting from beyond the arc the rest of the game.

Back on pace

Memphis didn’t make a single 3point shot in the first half.

But the Tigers made up the difference by improving in the areas where they lacked in Tuesday’s loss at LSU.

Memphis outrebounded Yale 45-38, with Davenport (8) leading the way. It was the first time this season the Tigers outrebounded their opponent.

The bump on the glass also translated to an increase in fast break points and more opportunities for Memphis to set up its full-court press.