Overview
- Memphis, which beat No. 18 Iowa State 80-76 on Monday, got a game-high 26 points from Jayden Reid, including 11 points in the final 3:02 and a 3-pointer with 38 seconds left.
- Luke Almodovar added 18 points and eight rebounds and Rihards Vavers scored 15, with Memphis finishing plus-2 on the glass at 38-36 to help control second-chance opportunities.
- The Tigers and Cyclones combined for about 50 personal fouls, and Memphis converted more free throws overall, making 25 trips to the line that helped them hold off Iowa State’s late rally.
- Memphis had to reshuffle its rotation after the program’s appeal to clear 6-foot-9 center Nemanja Popović was denied hours before tip-off, forcing Penny Hardaway to deploy a quicker, smaller look.
- The neutral-site matchup at the Sanford Pentagon was billed as an early measuring stick for both teams and now gives Memphis immediate momentum while Iowa State faces a tough early-season road loss.