How Memphis basketball prevailed against No. 2 UConn in Maui

MAUI, Hawaii – The Memphis basketball team stared at the two-time defending champion UConn Huskies and held their collective gaze.

Memphis didn’t bat an eyelid, surviving a late UConn surge to win 99-97 in overtime in what may be the biggest win of the Penny Hardaway era. PJ Haggerty, who did not play in overtime after a foul in the second half, stormed the court to greet his teammates. Moussa Cisse threw up the “M” sign with both hands as a few hundred rowdy Tigers fans went wild and serenaded the Lahaina Civic Center, chanting “Wow, that trick!”

Next up for Memphis: Michigan State (which beat Colorado on Monday) on Tuesday (5 p.m., ESPN).

The Tigers faced the second-ranked team in the country in a game that felt like a late-stage March Madness game. With four minutes to play, Memphis led by as many as 13 points. But UConn made a furious comeback and trailed 82-79 with 14.2 seconds left in the game.

Then the Huskies scored a game-winning 3-pointer from Solo Ball (only his second field goal of the game) with 1.2 seconds left.

UConn built a 90-86 lead with just two minutes left in overtime after Ball hit another three-pointer. That’s when PJ Carter came to life. He responded with a 3-pointer that kept the game close.

Then, after Colby Rogers’ 3-pointer tied the game with 1:07 left, Carter was sent to the free throw line for four consecutive attempts after an offensive foul on UConn, followed by a technical foul on the Huskies bench. Carter scored all four points, breaking the tie and giving Memphis the momentum it needed to pull off the win.

The first half consisted of 20 minutes of non-stop, intense physicality. But the Tigers largely controlled the pace and scoresheet. Memphis led by 11 minutes and 59 seconds, while the Huskies only led by 3:23. The remaining 4:38 minutes ended in a draw.

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How Memphis basketball prevailed against No. 2 UConn in Maui

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