Texas Tech storms back to beat Memphis
MIAMI, Fla. — Memphis coach Penny Hardaway said it Thursday, two days before Memphis' 78-67 loss to No. 19 Texas Tech at the Hoophall Miami Invitational.
"They make you play the game the right way for the entire 40 minutes, not just the half," Hardaway said.
The first-year coach was absolutely right.
His Tigers (3-4) led for 32 minutes against the Red Raiders (7-0) Saturday at AmericanAirlines Arena, but Memphis' 13-point second-half lead wasn't enough to hold off a late surge by Texas Tech.
"We came out with an unbelievable game plan," Hardaway said. "We knew exactly how they played and how they lock up on defense and what to look for and what we could get."
The Red Raiders went on a 17-2 run beginning at the nine-minute mark of the second half that took back the lead and evaporated any momentum the Tigers had in their favor.
"In the first half we (executed)," Hardaway said. "But in the second half, with about seven minutes to go, it just seemed like the plays that we ran and the people who had the ball just couldn't finish the deal."
The Texas Tech run put the final stamp on an I-told-you-so moment be-
tween Hardaway and his players, but there were plenty of positives to take away from Memphis' close loss to the No. 19 team in the country.
"For the most part we did what we were taught to do for 30 minutes," Hardaway said. "That's pretty big with a team that — we weren't even supposed to be on the map with Texas Tech."
First-half separation
The Tigers took a nine-point lead into halftime behind a dominant defense.
Memphis ditched its full-court press for the first time all season and held Texas Tech to 40 percent shooting.
The Tigers also outrebounded the Red Raiders 22-16 in the first 20 minutes, and grabbed 11 offensive rebounds, which translated to 12 second-chance points.
The nine-point lead was tied for Memphis' second-largest halftime advantage this season.
"The same things were open in the second half," Hardaway said. "I don't know what happened with the players' mindsets, but we're building on that."
Texas Tech focuses on Tyler Harris
Freshman guard Tyler Harris did what he does best in Memphis' loss, score.
And, for the most part, he did it while being careful with his shot selection.
"We did way better today than we did in any other game (in shot selection)," Hardaway said. "But that was non-negotiable, really. We didn't want any bad shots. We ended up having about 10, which all 10 hurt because of the way that they play."
The Texas Tech coaches were reminding their team to "find one" on nearly every defensive — referencing Harris' jersey number.
Harris scored a team-high 17 points on 6-of-14 shooting and knocked down three shots from long range.
"We respected him," Texas Tech coach Chris Beard said. "We knew he was one of the best shooters we would see this season. We were really concerned about his speed."
Coming into the game, the freshman guard was third on the team in scoring at 13.8 points per game. He also leads the Tigers in 3-point makes and 3-point percentage.
Progress for Memphis Tigers?
"Overall, to be honest, I really do feel like we are making progress," Memphis' Jeremiah Martin said. "We played hard, we moved the ball, we scored against a really good team . ... But I feel like I have to step up in games like this with me being a senior."
Martin finished with seven points on 2-of-12 shooting.
"I hate to keep saying this," Hardaway said, "there are no moral victories. I'm not happy at all. The players have to buy in for 40 (minutes) and I feel like we have a great chance to win any game that we go into."
Up next
Memphis returns home for a matchup with South Dakota State on Tuesday.
The game will be streamed on ESPN3 and broadcast locally on CW30. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. Central.
South Dakota State made appearances in the last two NCAA Tournaments.