Dain Dainja had game highs of 25 points and 10 rebounds as No. 18 Memphis pulled away in the last two minutes for an 84-72 American Athletic Conference win over visiting Rice on Wednesday night.PJ Haggerty added 21 points and five assists for the Tigers (23-5, 13-2 AAC), while Nicholas Jourdain contributed 19 points and nine rebounds. Memphis shot 49.2 percent from the field in securing a season sweep of the Owls.Caden Powell scored 19 points to lead four players in double figures for Rice (13-16, 4-12). Denver Anglin added 14 points, Andrew Akuchie had 12 and Kellen Amos came off the bench for 11.Despite making only 41.4 percent from the field, the Owls had a legitimate chance to pull the upset after Powell’s dunk tied the score at 70 with 3:51 left. They even got a stop and had possession with an opportunity to take the lead.But a steal by Colby Rogers led to Tyrese Hunter’s short jumper at the 2:39 mark. The bucket ignited a game-ending 14-2 run.
No. 18 Memphis fends off stubborn effort by Rice
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