Memphis showcased an impressive performance on Tuesday, as their guard duo, Tyrese Hunter and PJ Haggerty, combined for 39 points in a 71-63 victory over Michigan State, securing a spot in the Maui Invitational championship game.
The Tigers, now unbeaten with a record of 6-0, are set to face off against the winner of the contest between No. 4 Auburn and No. 12 North Carolina, which took place later that evening.
Hunter was particularly prolific, scoring 23 points and making 5 of his 10 attempts from beyond the arc. Just the previous day, he had shot seven 3-pointers in a thrilling 99-97 overtime win against No. 2 UConn. Haggerty contributed significantly as well, finishing with 16 points and grabbing nine rebounds. This tandem had a remarkable scoring outing against UConn, racking up 48 points altogether.
In addition to Hunter and Haggerty, Colby Rogers chipped in 10 points, helping Memphis achieve a shooting percentage of 47% for the game.
For the Spartans (5-2), Jase Richardson led the team with 18 points, including three 3-pointers. Jaden Akins and Frankie Fidler added 12 and 10 points respectively. Michigan State entered the game with the lowest 3-point shooting percentage in Division I at 20%, but managed to hit 35% of their long-range attempts, matching Memphis’ effort from the arc. However, Michigan State struggled with ball control, yielding 22 points from 13 turnovers, and finished with a shooting percentage of 42%.
Despite a slow start, Michigan State narrowed a 15-point deficit to just seven with five minutes remaining. However, Hunter responded with a crucial four-point play, dashing the Spartans’ hopes. They managed to close the gap to five points due to free throws from Jeremy Fears Jr. with 45 seconds left but failed to score again in the closing moments.
The contest saw the score tied early in the second half, but Memphis quickly distanced themselves. Haggerty and Rogers hit timely 3-pointers, while Moussa Cisse completed a three-point play following an offensive rebound and a reverse layup, extending the Tigers’ lead to 15 with just 11 minutes remaining.
Midway through the first half, Hunter sank a pair of 3-pointers around a dunk from Cisse, allowing the Tigers to maintain their advantage for the rest of the half. As the first half drew to a close, Michigan State ended on a positive note, scoring eight points against Memphis’ two, with Richardson’s last-minute three cutting the deficit to just three points at halftime.