Tigers fall to Georgia in AAC-SEC clash

Bulldogs snap the Memphis’s 10-game winning streak From the Memphis Tigers www.gotigersgo.com MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Precious Achiuwa had 20 points and 15 rebounds in a season-high 38 minutes, but his seventh double-double wasn’t enough to rescue the ninth-ranked University of Memphis men’s basketball team Saturday at FedExForum.

Georgia outscored the Tigers, 6-1, in the final four-and-a-half minutes to escape with a 65-62 victory before 17,272.

The loss snapped the UofM’s 10-game winning streak and was the first home loss of the season following nine victories.

Achiuwa and several other Tigers were forced to play additional minutes because of the absence of starting forward D.J. Jeffries.

Jeffries, averaging 12 points and 4.7 boards, was a late scratch because of an illness and did not play, although he sat on the bench during the game.

The Tigers led by as many as eight points early in the second half and were ahead, 61-59, after an Achiuwa 3-pointer with 4:35 to play, but were unable to pull out the victory down the stretch.

Memphis (12-2) shot 32.3 percent in the second half and 36.1 percent for the game.

In addition to Achiuwa, Boogie Ellis played a season-high 32 minutes and Lester Quinones played a season- high 35 minutes.

“Tough game,” Tigers coach Penny Hardaway said. “I hate playing five or six guys so many minutes — Precious, Boogie, Damion (Baugh), Lester and A-Lo (Alex Lomax) played the bulk of the minutes.”

Lomax finished with 11 points and Ellis scored 10 for the Tigers. Georgia was led by Rayshaun Hammonds, who had a double-double of his own with 15 point and 12 rebounds.

Anthony Edwards, considered a potential No.

1 NBA Draft pick, was held to 4-of-17 shooting and 13 points, five below his average.

“The energy of the game was never right for us,” Hardaway said.

“We had a couple of chances to knock them out. We went up seven (points) one time and eight the next. If we let a team hang around this is what can happen.”

Lomax said in close games like Saturday, the Tigers “need to do a good job getting our players better shots.”

“We have to get this game behind us and move forward,” Lomax said.

Memphis built its largest lead early in the second half by opening on a 10-2 run for a 47-39 advantage.

Isaiah Maurice opened the half with a 3-pointer that struck every part of the rim before falling through. Baugh, Achiuwa and Quinones followed with layups and Lomax dropped in a free-throw for the eight-point lead.

But the Bulldogs (103) answered with a 9-0 run for a 48-47 lead on a layup by Sahvir Wheeler forcing the Tigers to call a time out with 13:13 to go.

The teams traded the lead for the next 10 minutes until Georgia grabbed it for good (6261) on a 3-pointer by Hammonds with four minutes left.

With Achiuwa nearly posting a double-double at the half, the game was tied, 37-37 going into the break. Achiuwa had 11 points and nine boards at the half, one in which the Tigers shot 40 percent and outrebounded the Bulldogs, 22-16.

Georgia shot 43.4 in the first half and Edwards was uncharacteristically off. He missed eight of his 10 shot attempts and had only six points.

Neither team led by more than five points in the opening half. The Bulldogs led 8-3 in the early going by scoring on three straight possessions and the Tigers led 24-19 midway through the half after a Quinones left-handed layup followed by a deep 3-pointer.

Game Notes:

• Tigers guard Boogie Ellis scored in double figures for the first time in a month. He finished with 10 points, exactly one month after scoring 12 against Bradley. He entered the game averaging 3.6 points in his previous five games.

• Memphis shot less than 50 percent for the first time on the fourgame homestand. The Tigers shot 36.1 percent.

• D.J. Jeffries, who did not play because of an illness, had scored in double figures the previous six games and dished out a career-best eight assists in a victory Monday against Tulane.

• Memphis has no non-conference games remaining during the regular season.

Memphis returns to American Athletic Conference play next with a game Thursday at nationally-ranked Wichita State. Tipoff time is scheduled for 6 p.m.