- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 372,138
- Reaction score
- 43
FORT WORTH, Texas — Memphis basketball star Dain Dainja barreled his way toward the basket and put up a shot.
Standing in his way was Tulane’s Percy Daniels, whose defense sent the Tigers’ big man falling to the floor inside Dickies Arena Saturday.
The shot fell and the referee’s whistle blew. Dainja reclined on the floor, stuck his tongue out and flexed his muscles toward the rafters. He knocked down the subsequent free throw as Daniels (who fouled out on the play) found his seat on the Green Wave bench.
It was that kind of day for Dainja, who – like his teammate and fellow all-AAC first-teamer PJ Haggerty did the day before – carried Memphis (28-5) to a 78-77 win over Tulane (19-14) to advance to the AAC tournament championship. Dainja finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Haggerty came on strong late, scoring 14 of his 18 points in the second half − 12 of them coming via free throw (eight of which came in the final 40 seconds).
The 17th-ranked and top-seeded Tigers will face the North Texas-UAB winner Sunday (2:15 p.m., ESPN).
As big as Dainja’s performance was, it was a pair of defensive plays by Moussa Cisse and Haggerty that sealed the win. Cisse blocked a Rowan Brumbaugh shot with 26.5 seconds left. Had it gone down, it would’ve given the Green Wave a 1-point lead. Then, Haggerty poked the ball loose enough to wrestle possession away from Brumbaugh on the ensuing inbounds play. He called timeout, then got fouled and hit both free throws to put the Tigers up 74-71 with 16 seconds to play.
Cisse also notched a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds to go along with two blocks.
Here are three gut reactions from the win over Tulane.
Haggerty is the superstar. Tyrese Hunter is the tried-and-true leader. Colby Rogers is the X-factor, and Moussa Cisse and PJ Carter are the invaluable depth pieces.
But Dainja is the most important Tiger there is this season.
The unanimous first-team all-conference selection and the AAC’s Newcomer of the Year is the key that unlocks the highest reaches of Memphis’ destiny. Without Dainja – or, without him at his most effective – the team is still capable of big things. With him, though, the ceiling elevates – multiple levels, potentially.
He was never questionable to play against Tulane, but there were doubts that he would be 100%, considering his right shoulder got “a little banged up” during Friday’s win over Wichita State.
The way he played in the first half against Tulane quelled those concerns, pretty definitively. Like he has for much of the past two months, Dainja dominated early on: 13 points, five rebounds, two steals.
Dainja is a safety valve. A one-man slump buster. A run stopper.
Dainja is a game changer.
Much to even the most ardent Tiger fans’ pleasant surprise, Memphis was one of the better 3-point shooting teams in the country all season.
Having spent most of the past four months slotted somewhere in the top five in the country, things have dipped on that front lately.
In six of its last seven games – including Saturday’s win over Tulane – the Tigers have made five or fewer triples.
Memphis’ shot-making ability was a big part of the team’s success this season.
First, backup guard Dante Harris sprained his left ankle during the next-to-last game of the regular season.
Then, Dainja’s right shoulder became an issue to monitor moving forward.
Now, Hunter’s left foot is a problem – and, potentially, a big one, depending on the severity of the injury.
Memphis has the talent to play with anyone in the country. The question is, can the Tigers hold up?
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at [email protected], follow him @munzly on X, and sign up for the Memphis Basketball Insider text group.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Dain Dainja powers Memphis basketball to AAC tournament title game
Continue reading...
Standing in his way was Tulane’s Percy Daniels, whose defense sent the Tigers’ big man falling to the floor inside Dickies Arena Saturday.
The shot fell and the referee’s whistle blew. Dainja reclined on the floor, stuck his tongue out and flexed his muscles toward the rafters. He knocked down the subsequent free throw as Daniels (who fouled out on the play) found his seat on the Green Wave bench.
It was that kind of day for Dainja, who – like his teammate and fellow all-AAC first-teamer PJ Haggerty did the day before – carried Memphis (28-5) to a 78-77 win over Tulane (19-14) to advance to the AAC tournament championship. Dainja finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Haggerty came on strong late, scoring 14 of his 18 points in the second half − 12 of them coming via free throw (eight of which came in the final 40 seconds).
The 17th-ranked and top-seeded Tigers will face the North Texas-UAB winner Sunday (2:15 p.m., ESPN).
As big as Dainja’s performance was, it was a pair of defensive plays by Moussa Cisse and Haggerty that sealed the win. Cisse blocked a Rowan Brumbaugh shot with 26.5 seconds left. Had it gone down, it would’ve given the Green Wave a 1-point lead. Then, Haggerty poked the ball loose enough to wrestle possession away from Brumbaugh on the ensuing inbounds play. He called timeout, then got fouled and hit both free throws to put the Tigers up 74-71 with 16 seconds to play.
Cisse also notched a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds to go along with two blocks.
Here are three gut reactions from the win over Tulane.
Dain Dainja is Penny Hardaway’s most important player
Haggerty is the superstar. Tyrese Hunter is the tried-and-true leader. Colby Rogers is the X-factor, and Moussa Cisse and PJ Carter are the invaluable depth pieces.
But Dainja is the most important Tiger there is this season.
The unanimous first-team all-conference selection and the AAC’s Newcomer of the Year is the key that unlocks the highest reaches of Memphis’ destiny. Without Dainja – or, without him at his most effective – the team is still capable of big things. With him, though, the ceiling elevates – multiple levels, potentially.
He was never questionable to play against Tulane, but there were doubts that he would be 100%, considering his right shoulder got “a little banged up” during Friday’s win over Wichita State.
The way he played in the first half against Tulane quelled those concerns, pretty definitively. Like he has for much of the past two months, Dainja dominated early on: 13 points, five rebounds, two steals.
Dainja is a safety valve. A one-man slump buster. A run stopper.
Dainja is a game changer.
Does Memphis basketball have a 3-point shooting problem?
Much to even the most ardent Tiger fans’ pleasant surprise, Memphis was one of the better 3-point shooting teams in the country all season.
Having spent most of the past four months slotted somewhere in the top five in the country, things have dipped on that front lately.
In six of its last seven games – including Saturday’s win over Tulane – the Tigers have made five or fewer triples.
Memphis’ shot-making ability was a big part of the team’s success this season.
Health the only thing that can stop these Tigers
First, backup guard Dante Harris sprained his left ankle during the next-to-last game of the regular season.
Then, Dainja’s right shoulder became an issue to monitor moving forward.
Now, Hunter’s left foot is a problem – and, potentially, a big one, depending on the severity of the injury.
Memphis has the talent to play with anyone in the country. The question is, can the Tigers hold up?
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at [email protected], follow him @munzly on X, and sign up for the Memphis Basketball Insider text group.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Dain Dainja powers Memphis basketball to AAC tournament title game
Continue reading...
