No game had more importance for one team this past weekend than Memphis Basketball, who took on the Ole Miss Rebels in its final non-conference game. With how poor the AAC is outside of Memphis, this was easily the best game left on their schedule.
The Tigers played with that level of urgency the entire game, having a lead throughout and eventually coasting for the 87-70 win. Just about everyone on the team played well in the victory. Here are three specific postgame keys for Memphis in the victory.
1. Colby Rogers was the top guard this time around
In the three-guard lineup for Memphis, it’s usually been either PJ Haggerty or Tyrese Hunter who leads them to victory. This time around, Rogers scored a season and game-high 28 points on 10/16 FG, including 6/9 from deep. The other two key guards combined for just 21 points on 7/22 FG in rare off games. When Rogers is scoring like this, it’s going to be hard to beat Memphis in league play.
2. Elite production from the centers
One advantage Memphis Basketball looked to have on paper against the Rebels was at the five-spot. And that proved to be more than true, with both centers having arguably their best games of the season. Moussa Cisse had his first double-double on the season (13 points and 11 rebounds), while Dain Dainja had 16 points off the bench in 18 minutes. That kind of effective combined production in 40 minutes will do if you’re the Tigers.
3. Nick Jourdain’s all-around game
The one starter that hasn’t been mentioned yet was Jourdain, but he was just as good in his own right. The senior forward only had eight points but also chipped in with eight rebounds, six assists, and even three blocks.
As a 5th option, Jourdain is never going to be a big offensive threat. But when he’s doing everything else, that just makes Memphis even more difficult to stop. We’ll see if the Tigers can improve from last year’s dreadful league performance, but they certainly have plenty of momentum coming into the AAC schedule.