Memphis Tigers Rally to Defeat Rice Owls in AAC Showdown

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Dain Dainja scored a career-high 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, leading No. 18 Memphis to an 84-72 victory over Rice on Wednesday night. The Tigers’ win improved their record to 23-5 overall and 13-2 in the American Athletic Conference.

PJ Haggerty contributed significantly for Memphis, finishing with 21 points, while Nicholas Jourdan added 19 points and nine rebounds. The victory marked Memphis’ 10th win in their last 11 games.

Caden Powell led Rice with 19 points and seven rebounds, supported by Denver Anglin and Andrew Akuchie, who scored 14 and 12 points respectively. Rice fell to 13-16 overall and holds a 4-12 mark in conference play.

The game remained close throughout, with Rice managing to tie the score at 70 with 3:52 remaining. However, Memphis responded with a decisive 10-0 run to take control. Dainja played a pivotal role during this stretch, scoring 18 of his points in the second half and making crucial defensive plays.

“We had to dig deep in that final stretch,” Dainja said. “This team knows how to push through tough moments and come out on top.”

Despite both teams struggling with their three-point shooting—Memphis finished at 2 of 13 and Rice at 5 of 21—the Tigers managed to assert their dominance when it mattered most. The win kept Memphis atop the AAC standings, now 1.5 games ahead of North Texas and UAB, who were both scheduled to play Thursday night.

The key moment came late in the game when Kellen Amos of Rice assisted Powell for a dunk that equalized the score, but Memphis quickly answered to secure the win.

Next up, Rice will face UTSA in a road game on Sunday, while Memphis travels to UAB for a critical matchup.