Memphis Triumphs Over Charlotte: A Battling Showdown Ends 77-68 (January 19, 2025)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — — PJ Haggerty netted 18 points, Tyrese Hunter contributed 15 points and No. 18 Memphis utilized a powerful first half to establish an advantage in a 77-68 victory over Charlotte on Sunday.

Dain Dainja scored 14 points along with nine rebounds for the Tigers (14-4, 4-1 American Athletic Conference), which rebounded from a defeat against unranked Temple 88-81 on Thursday evening. Haggerty, who tallied 21 points in the setback against the Owls, concluded with 7 of 14 shooting from the field.

Jaehshon Thomas led Charlotte (7-12, 0-6) with 18 points, as the team has suffered seven consecutive losses.

Memphis recorded 58% shooting in the first half and surged to a 41-25 advantage at halftime, thanks to a 20-3 run. The Tigers started strong from beyond the arc, hitting 7 of 14 3-pointers early in the contest.

The 49ers displayed some resilience, narrowing the Memphis lead to 10 early in the second half after Thomas hit two consecutive 3-pointers, prompting a Tigers timeout. However, Memphis expanded the lead to 20, fueled by four points from Dainja during a 10-0 run.

Insights

Memphis: It remains uncertain whether this win will aid the Tigers in maintaining their position in the AP Top 25 after the loss to Temple, but it was a solid recovery win as Memphis aims for a regular-season conference championship. They present a well-rounded team and distribute the ball effectively, though the upcoming schedule only promises to be more challenging.

Charlotte: The 49ers are encountering difficulties in their second year under coach Aaron Fearne and are still in search of their first conference victory. A shortage of size poses a challenge for Charlotte.

Crucial moment

Charlotte made one final attempt to trim the lead to nine with 1:05 remaining, but Dainja’s dunk following a missed shot secured the victory.

Significant statistic

Memphis outperformed Charlotte on the boards 42-28.

Upcoming

Memphis will host Wichita State on Thursday night. Charlotte will welcome Florida Atlantic on Wednesday evening.

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