By Kenneth Cross
Memphis dropped a 72-64 decision at No. 1 Houston on Sunday, but the Tigers look the part of an NCAA Tournament guest who will stay around as a winner once again this season. The loss was without Kendric Davis, who leads the American Athletic Conference with 21.3 points per game.
“I’m not big on moral victories and we had three opportunities there, down five,” said Tigers coach Penny Hardaway. “Didn’t seize the moment and just have to take the good from this game and keep it moving.” 
Elijah McCadden led the Tigers with 20 points as he played 37 minutes and made 7 of-12 free throws. DeAndre WIlliams scored 18 points in making 7-of-13 from the floor while adding a pair of threes.
The Tigers rallied after falling behind, 30-16, in the first half. Houston took control with a 17-3 run that was led by seven points from guard Marcus Sasser.
Memphis reasserted its thoughts and level of play at halftime and Elijah McCadden and Damaria Franklin hit back-to-back threes that quickly cut a 38-28 Houston lead to 38-34 with 15:55 to play.
“Very timid in the first half,” noted Hardaway. “At halftime, I said we have plays to get to the basket. Let’s just get to the paint every time. In the second half, that’s what we did and we played much better.”
The Tigers’ Comeback Trail
Memphis fell behind, 55-42, on a layup by Houston forward J’Wan Walker with 8:50 remaining.
The Tigers attacked the basket with even more voracity afterward as they spread the floor which spread Houston’s defense. An 8-2 Memphis run, punctuated by Williams’ layup, scissored the Cougars’ lead to 63-58 with 2:24 remaining.
“We tried to run offense, like our default offense, and they just wouldn’t let us run it,” explained Hardaway. “So we spread the floor and we just gave guys opportunities to be strong with the basketball and challenge them to do what we did all the time. We came out the second half and ‘Now, let’s go out here and compete.”
Memphis fought back several times to cut the lead before Jamal Shead scored on a layup and the Cougs went 9-of-10 from the floor in the last 1:10 to preserve the win.
Houston shoots 35.4 percent from three for the season and the Tigers held them to 3-of-17 on Saturday. The biggest key for the Cougars was forcing the Tigers into 18 turnovers where Houston penned 22 points.
“I am encouraged because that team is going to be number one in the nation tomorrow,” said Hardaway. “I think we know that we can play with them. We have seen and been in the fire in a hostile environment against those guys, so I am definitely encouraged.”
Memphis’ Injury Situation Moving Forward
The Tigers were struggling without Davis, but they also have been without Alex Lomax and Malcolm Dandridge. Lomax missed the nine games before Sunday’s matchup with the Cougars with a groin injury. Dandridge had a sprained ankled against Alabama and has missed 15 games since the 91-88 loss to the Crimson Tide on Dec. 13.
Hardaway said that Lomax was about 90 percent while Dandridge was 60 percent for Sunday’s game.
Lomax was 0-for-7 from the field and had seven rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes. Dandridge was only able to log six minutes as he scored and pulled down three rebounds.
“We have to get Malcolm in shape and Kendric – I don’t think he is as bad as he was. I could kind of feel it early on because of how frustrated he was because if he was playing, he would more upbeat,” Hardaway analyzed.
The Injury scenario has played a role in the Tigers’ improving their depth with Jayden Hardaway, Chandler Lawson, Keonte Kennedy, Damaria Franklin, Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu joining Davis and Williams to form a solid rotation.
“I was very interested to see what this new group was going to do out there on the floor because they have never played Houston,” said Hardaway.