Haggerty scores 18, No. 18 Memphis returns to win column vs. Charlotte
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — PJ Haggerty scored 18 points, Tyrese Hunter added 15 points and No. 18 Memphis used a strong first half to set the tone in a 77-68 win over Charlotte on Sunday.
Dain Dainja added 14 points and nine rebounds for the Tigers (14-4, 4-1 American Athletic Conference), which bounced back from a loss to unranked Temple 88-81 on Thursday night. Haggerty, who had 21 points in the loss to the Owls, finished 7 of 14 from the field.
Jaehshon Thomas had 18 points to lead Charlotte (7-12, 0-6), which has lost seven straight.
Memphis shot 58% in the first half and ran out to a 41-25 lead at the break behind a 20-3 run. The Tigers got hot from deep early, making 7 of 14 3-pointers to start the game.
The 49ers would show some fight, cutting the Memphis lead to 10 early in the second half after Thomas knocked down back-to-back 3s, forcing a Tigers timeout. But Memphis would push the lead to 20 getting four points from Dainja during a 10-0 run.
Takeaways
Memphis: It's unclear if the win will help the Tigers remain in the AP Top 25 following the loss to Temple, but it was a good bounce back win as Memphis pursues a regular season conference title. They have a balanced team and share the ball well but the schedule will only get tougher moving forward.
Charlotte: The 49ers have struggled in their second season under coach Aaron Fearne and are still looking for their first conference win. A lack of height is an issue for Charlotte.
Key moment
Charlotte offered one last push to cut the lead to nine with 1:05 left, but Dainja’s dunk off an missed shot sealed the win.
Key stat
Memphis outrebounded Charlotte 42-28.
Up next
Memphis hosts Wichita State on Thursday night. Charlotte hosts Florida Atlantic on Wednesday night.
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