PJ Haggerty scores 18, No. 18 Memphis gets back on track with 77-68 win over 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.

Charlotte guard Ben Bradford (3) passes the ball against Memphis during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Scott Kinser)

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.