Friday night lights as the Memphis Tigers Basketball team took to the hardwood to welcome the Ohio Bobcats to the FedEx Forum for a final home tune-up before heading west to take on the Dons of San Francisco before crossing the ocean for the Maui Invitational opener against the Huskies of UConn.

Coming into the game with the preseason pick to win the MAC, the Ohio Bobcats had an upset on their mind as they looked to spoil the night for Penny Hardaway and the Tigers. Despite a valiant effort from the Bobcats, Memphis defended home court and cruised to an easy 94-70.

Memphis got things rolling on the offensive side of the glass tonight as they lit up the scoreboard with 94 points. Looking at the postgame box score, Memphis finished the night shooting 56% from the field, going 13-18 from behind the arc for an impressive 72%. Not many teams will beat you if you knock down 13 three-pointers; it adds an extra layer of untapped potential for the Tigers in the future. With that in mind, Memphis finished the night going 17-22 from the charity stripe, finishing with 72%. Memphis also finished with 34 points in the paint, 12 second-chance points, and 29 of the 94 points coming off turnovers. However, one glaring mishap from the box score is the six offensive rebounds for the Tigers, while Ohio finished with ten.

Memphis had three guys scoring double-digits on Friday night, with PJ Haggerty leading the way with 23 points. Tyrese Hunter finished the night with 21 points, and Nico Jourdain brought up the rear with 15 points. Moussa Cisse and Colby Rogers finished the night for the Tigers with nine points each. Nico Jourdain led the way in rebounds with eight, and Haggerty had seven.

Friday night was another excellent win for the Tigers as they kept their foot on the throttle and cruised victory. If you’re Penny Hardaway, you must feel good about where your team is mentally heading into the near week and a half trip out west, where the Tigers will face at least two National Championship contenders in Maui.

Memphis will return to action on ESPN Plus on Thursday night in San Francisco against the Dons.

Photo Credits- Memphis Basketball on X