FORT WORTH, Texas — Memphis coach Penny Hardaway was speaking from experience with his message to standout guard PJ Haggerty before the start of the American Athletic Conference Tournament.
“When you’re the man and you’re expected to go out to produce, you’ve got to go out and produce,” Hardaway told the sophomore.
Haggerty responded with a career-high 42 points, including nine in a 12-0 run after halftime that put the 16th-ranked Tigers ahead to stay in an 83-80 win over nemesis Wichita State in a quarterfinal game Friday.
Haggerty, who was named the AAC’s top player this week after being the league’s freshman of the year last season, was 16-of-25 shooting and made 10 of 11 free throws.
“Your team wins when you play well,” said Hardaway, the seventh-year coach who as a player led Memphis to two NCAA Tournament appearances before being a four-time NBA All-Star. “That’s the pressure that you have to have on yourself at the end of the day. And he responded exceptionally well. … Watching it, it just took me back.”
The 42 points were 10 over Haggerty’s previous career high and matched the AAC Tournament record set by Louisville’s Russ Smith in a semifinal win over Houston in 2014. That was only a point shy of the highest-scoring game in league history, 43 by Memphis’ Jeremiah Martin against Tulane in February 2019.
“Special,” said Tigers big man Dain Dainja, who had 18 points. “One of the best guards in the country. I wasn’t surprised at all. I know he can take over games like this. When he gets going, we just have to find him.”
While the Tigers (27-5) will certainly be in the NCAA tournament for the third time in four seasons, their only loss in their last 15 games since Jan. 16 was at Wichita State. And it was a year ago Friday that Shockers upset them in the second round of the conference tourney.
Haggerty had two baskets off turnovers in the go-ahead run, capped with a three-point play when he had a steal near midcourt and drove to make a layup between three defenders while being fouled. That made it 56-45 with 12:33 left.
Earlier in that run, he made a layup and Memphis got the ball right back when Tyrese Hunter had a steal and drove toward the basket. When Hunter missed the layup, Haggerty was there for the rebound and putback.
A few minutes after that run ended, Haggerty made a contested baseline floater high off the glass.
“I was just trying to play my hardest. It’s March,” said Haggerty, who in the overtime loss at Wichita State on Feb. 16 made only 4 of 18 shots.
“I wasn’t shocked because I know his abilities. His abilities are from God,” Hardaway said. “That’s something you can’t teach, his knack for scoring, his knack for making plays.”
