Memphis earns a 71-63 win over Michigan State, propelling the Tigers into the Maui Invitational title game. The impressive guard duo of Tyrese Hunter and PJ Haggerty played a pivotal role in this victory, combining for a remarkable 39 points.
With this win, Memphis improves to an undefeated 6-0 record and is set to face the winner of the late game between No. 4 Auburn and No. 12 North Carolina.
Hunter led the charge with 23 points, showcasing his shooting skills by hitting 5 of 10 attempts from beyond the arc. He had previously displayed his prowess by sinking seven 3-pointers in a thrilling overtime victory against No. 2 UConn. Haggerty contributed with 16 points and secured nine rebounds, underscoring their dominance as a backcourt pair.
Colby Rogers also made his mark, adding 10 points to the Tigers’ total, as Memphis shot an efficient 47% from the field.
On the other side, Jase Richardson led the Spartans with 18 points, hitting three 3-pointers. Jaden Akins and Frankie Fidler contributed with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Despite entering the game with the lowest 3-point shooting percentage in Division I, Michigan State improved to 35% from the arc, matching Memphis’s performance. However, they struggled with turnovers, yielding 22 points off 13 mistakes while shooting 42% overall.
The Spartans made a late push, narrowing a 15-point deficit to seven points with just five minutes remaining. However, Hunter responded with a crucial four-point play that helped maintain Memphis’s lead. Michigan State managed to cut the gap to five points with two free throws from Jeremy Fears Jr. but failed to score again.
The game was tightly contested early in the second half until Memphis began to pull away. Haggerty and Rogers hit back-to-back 3-pointers, and Moussa Cisse added a three-point play, extending the lead to 15 points with 11 minutes left in the game.
Midway through the first half, Hunter’s pair of 3-pointers, coupled with a dunk from Cisse, allowed Memphis to seize control of the game. Though the Spartans finished strong, closing the half with an 8-2 run capped by Richardson’s 3-pointer, they went into halftime trailing by just three points.
