MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Wichita State fell 85-74 to Memphis, Thursday night at FedExForum in the American Athletic Conference opener for both teams.
Kyvon Davenport paced Memphis (9-5, 1-0) with 25 points on 7-of-11 shooting. He was 9-for-11 at the foul line. Antwaan Jones (16) and Jeremiah Martin (11) joined him in double-figures.
Wichita State (7-6, 0-1 American) dropped consecutive games for the first time this season.
Markis McDuffie scored 19 points to lead a group of four Shockers in double-figures. Samajae Haynes-Jones added 15 points and six assists. Freshmen Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler and Dexter Dennis tacked on 12 points each. Ricky Torres dished out a career-high eight assists in 23 turnover-free minutes.
Poor Bear-Chandler saw extended action in the absence of backup center Morris Udeze (shoulder) and made the most of the opportunity. He was 5-of-7 from the field and nailed both three-point attempts in 22 minutes. His 12 points was eight more than his previous best, and five rebounds were also a career-high.
McDuffie posted his 12th-consecutive double-figure scoring game. That streak is tied for the fourth-longest of the Marshall Era.
Memphis (50.0 percent) outshot the Shockers (39.4 percent) from the field and outscored them by 19 at the foul line. The Tigers were plus-four in turnovers (15-11) and plus-six on the boards (35-29).
Shockers’ 33 three-point attempts was tied for the fourth-highest single-game total in school history. Haynes-Jones’ 12 attempts also tied for the third-most by a Shocker individual. WSU made 10 three-pointers but shot just 30.3 percent from deep. The
WSU shot 100 percent at the foul line, albeit on just six attempts. Memphis went to the line 31 times and sank 25. The Tigers outscored the Shockers, 44-26 in the paint and 20-11 off turnovers.
WSU led by as many as four points early. Haynes-Jones’ three-pointer made it a 20-16 Shocker lead near the 7:30-mark of the first half.
Memphis outscored the Shockers 28-12 over the remainder of the half to take a 44-32 advantage into the locker room.
Poor Bear-Chandler scored 10 of his 12 points in 10 first-half minutes to lead all scorers. He also picked up three fouls.
WSU opened the second half with a 9-2 push. McDuffie’s three-point play closed the gap to 48-44 with 15:56 to go.
The Shockers would never get any closer.
Memphis used a 6-0 run and built its lead back to 11.
WSU rallied to within six (59-53; 9:42) and later seven points (81-74; 2:06) but couldn’t sustain momentum.
