Nolley leads Memphis to 69-59 win over No. 6 Houston

Updated Feb. 12, 2022 6:04 p.m. ET
Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — Landers Nolley II scored 20 points and Jalen Duren had 14 points and 11 rebounds as Memphis rallied past No. 6 Houston 69-59 on Saturday and snapped the Cougars' 37-game home winning streak.

DeAndre Williams and Lester Quinones each scored 13 points as the Tigers (14-8, 8-4 American) won their fifth straight.

Houston also lost its second straight after a 12-game winning streak. It’s the first time Houston has lost consecutive games since January 2017, when they lost three in a row.

The Tigers shot 47% and were nine of 22 on 3-pointers and 18 of 19 on free throws.

ADVERTISEMENT

Fabian White Jr. and Taze Moore each had 15 points, and Jamal Shead added 12 points for Houston (20-4, 9-2).

The Cougars shot 46% and hit 7 of 23 from the arc.

Trailing 53-48, Memphis went on a 15-0 run to take a 63-53 lead on two free throws by Nolley with 1:16 remaining. Memphis made seven straight free throws to end the run.

Memphis jumped to a 15-4 lead capped by a free throw by Josh Minott with 14 minutes remaining in the first half. Houston answered with a 13-2 run to tie it at 17 on a 3-pointer by Edwards with just under 10 minutes left in the half.

The Cougars finished with a 14-4 run, taking a 31-28 lead at the break on a 3-pointer by White.

BIG PICTURE

Memphis: The Tigers strengthened their NCAA Tournament resume with the Quadrant 1 win. … Memphis finished with 19 turnovers. … The Tigers outrebounded Houston 30-26.

Houston: The Cougars’ two straight losses hurt their NCAA Tournament resume after the Cougars’ win streak, and there are few opportunities left for quality wins. … Houston had a 32-18 advantage in points in the paint.

FACES IN THE CROWD

In attendance for the game were NBA Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy, Houston Rockets guards Jalen Green and Josh Christopher, New Orleans Saints defensive end Payton Turner, and Baltimore Ravens linebacker Tyus Bowser.

UP NEXT

Memphis: Travels to Cincinnati on Tuesday.

Houston: Hosts Central Florida on Thursday.

___

More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

share