CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — PJ Haggerty scored 21 of his 27 points in the second half and No. 21 Memphis shook off a slow start to beat Virginia 64-62 on Wednesday night.
The Tigers (9-2) trailed 30-21 at halftime and took their first lead at 39-37 on a goaltending call in what became a 26-7 burst that gave them a 47-39 lead.
Tyrese Hunter and Dain Dainja scored 12 points each for the Tigers. Dainja had 11 rebounds.
Elijah Saunders scored 15 points and Taine Murray 14 for Virginia (6-5). The Cavaliers lost at home for the first time this season.
Takeaways
Memphis: The Tigers turned up their defensive pressure in the second half, sparking their rally.
Virginia: The Cavaliers fell to 0-4 against ranked teams this season.
Key moment
Virginia closed to 57-53 on a basket by Isaac McKneely with 2:58 to play, but Haggerty pushed the lead back to 60-53 with a 3-pointer with 2:27 left. The Tigers were 5 for 22 from beyond the arc.
Key stat
The Tigers scored just 21 points in the first half, but had 26 in the first 10 minutes of the second half.
Up next
Memphis returns home to face Mississippi State on Saturday. Virginia Cavaliers remains at home to face American on Sunday.
