Penny Hardaway and the Tigers started the 2021-22 season with a sovereign show win over LeMoyne-Owen. Emoni Bates, Landers Nolley, Chandler Lawson and Johnathan Lawson didn’t play, but Memphis scored a 105-54 win over the Mages.
Hardaway’s troop were on their way, and it was easy to see that Bonzi Wells’ group would not be able to keep up. It took the tigers a few minutes to find their rhythm, but when they did they didn’t look back.
four players finished in double digits, and the group shot 58.3 percent out of the field and 65 percent behind the arch. It looks like Memphis is shooting a lot better from the three-point line, and Lester quinones, Jaden Hardaway and John Camden everything looked impressive from the depths.
Lester quinones led the team by 20 points, including 5-for-6 from behind the arch, and he added six rebounds, three assists and three steals. It looks like the junior took a step since last year and he will play an important role on both sides of the court.
While fans couldn’t see Bates in action on Sunday, they got their first look at Jalen Düren up against another team and it didn’t disappoint. The five star recruit was a force in the suit, and he finished the game with 15 points, five rebounds, and one block.
It’s clear that Memphis Duren is going to use a lot offensively, and he showed his athleticism all afternoon, finishing several highlight-roll ally-oops.
Malcolm Dandridge was also noticeable in depth and ended the night with 18 points, six rebounds and two assists. The junior has struggled with injuries throughout his career but looked extremely healthy on Sunday.
The Tigers are extremely long and should overtake most of their opponents. Memphis finished the game with 45 rebounds and five players finished the game with five or more boards.
Hardaway’s group played extremely physically on the defensive end of the field, and LeMoyne-Owen held 32 percent off the field and 21.4 percent from the three-point line. The magicians flipped the ball 30 times and Memphis finished the game with 18 steals.
Alex Lomax set the tone on the defensive with four steals in the first half. The senior guard added six points, one rebound and seven assists, and ended the game with just one turnover.
After a week-long hiatus, Memphis is returning to the FedExForum on Sunday for the final exhibition game against Lane College.
