MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis men's basketball defeated No. 6 Alabama 92-78 Tuesday night at FedExForum in the biggest win in Penny Hardaway's tenure as Tigers coach.
The win marks the Tigers first victory over a Top 10 opponent since 2014 and puts their season squarely back on track after four-straight losses to unranked opponents.
Hardaway said his team had one of its best practices of the season Monday following a players-only meeting. What came out of that huddle was a Tigers squad that played with a fire and desperation that was painfully absent over the four-game skid.
Landers Nolley II, who did not score a point in Friday's loss to Murray State, was 3-of-7 from beyond the arc in the first half alone and finished with 13 points. DeAndre Williams dropped a team-high 20 points and six assists in the win.
The Tigers closed the first half on an 8-0 run to take a 37-32 lead into the locker room. But unlike the loss to Murray State, Memphis did not falter to start the second half.
With 15:04 to play, a Charles Bediako free threw cut the Memphis lead to seven. The Tigers answered with a 12-0 run in the span of one minute and 36 seconds. Tyler Harris, who returned to the UofM as a walk-on this season, punctuated the run with a pair of three-pointers, establishing a 19-point lead and putting the game far out of reach for the Crimson Tide.
With a Top 10 win under their belt, the Tigers prepare to take on rival Tennessee Saturday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.