Congratulations @Memphis_MBB
— Ryan Silverfield (@RSilverfield) March 12, 2023
GTG 🐅 https://t.co/XXfmDtjFsp
Houston vs. Memphis score: Tigers stun Cougars to win AAC Tournament, secure bid to NCAA Tournament
The Tigers removed all doubt about which side of the bubble they would end up on by winning the AAC
No. 1 seed Houston, the winner of the American Athletic Conference's regular-season race, fell flat on Sunday to No. 2 seed Memphis in a 75-65 stunner that awarded the Tigers the AAC Tournament championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Houston swept the regular-season series with Memphis and otherwise dominated in the AAC Tournament with 14-point and 21-point wins over East Carolina and Cincinnati, respectively, before stumbling against the Tigers.
Memphis nearly fell to UCF in its opener, but managed to ride a wave of momentum over Tulane and Houston in consecutive days to clinch its first conference tournament championship in a decade. It led for all but 54 seconds vs. the Cougars and ballooned its lead to as many as 20 before cruising to a win.
Houston (31-3) was without the services of star Marcus Sasser, who is recovering from a groin strain he suffered against the Bearcats. Sasser leads the Cougars in scoring and is having an All-American-caliber season. A timeline for his return remains unclear.
The win for Memphis might be a win for the American since it clinches a spot for the Tigers in the NCAA Tournament and removes any doubt of it possibly falling on the wrong side of the bubble. Houston seems to have done well enough for itself to be able to survive the loss and still secure a No. 1 seed, though it may be close with Purdue and Texas in the mix.
Below is the full rundown of scores from the AAC Tournament.
2023 AAC Tournament schedule, scores
Location: Dickies Arena -- Fort Worth, Texas
Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free) | Follow live: CBS Sports App
All times Eastern; some start times approximated
First round -- Thursday, March 9
Game 1: No. 9 East Carolina 73, No. 8 South Florida 58 | Recap
Game 2: No. 7 UCF 76, No. 10 SMU 70 | Recap
Game 3: No. 6 Wichita State 81, No. 11 Tulsa 62 | Recap
Quarterfinals -- Friday, March 10
Game 4: No. 1 Houston 60, No. 9 East Carolina 46 | Recap
Game 5: No. 4 Cincinnati 84, No. 5 Temple 54 | Recap
Game 6: No. 2 Memphis 81, No. 7 UCF 76 | Recap
Game 7: No. 3 Tulane 82, No. 6 Wichita State 76 | Recap
Semifinals -- Saturday, March 11
Game 8: No. 1 Houston 69, No. 4 Cincinnati 48 | Recap
Game 9: No. 2 Memphis 94, No. 3 Tulane 54 | Recap
AAC Tournament Championship Game -- Sunday, March 12
Game 10: No. 2 Memphis 75, No. 1 Houston 65 | GameTracker
Follow below for updates, analysis and highlights throughout the AAC Tournament title game on Sunday.
Live updates
Let's dance, @Memphis_MBB! pic.twitter.com/qlzinaWlry
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 12, 2023
AMERICAN CHAMPS MOOD😀#AmericanHoops x @Memphis_MBB pic.twitter.com/myLLVHXN14
— The American (@American_Conf) March 12, 2023
.@Memphis_MBB is rolling into the tourney in style 😎 pic.twitter.com/PxXrIS9DIg
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 12, 2023
Hold it close @Marsssss_3 pic.twitter.com/ckbkV6qniA
— Memphis Basketball (@Memphis_MBB) March 12, 2023
CONGRATS to our All-Tournament honorees, @Thejshead & @JWanRoberts13#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/G7213k1ptu
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 12, 2023
CHAMPIONS OF THE AMERICAN!!#AmericanHoops x @Memphis_MBB pic.twitter.com/v0jeWa1D5R
— The American (@American_Conf) March 12, 2023
BIG MEMPHIS#GoTigersGo pic.twitter.com/YLY5gRDqH5
— Memphis Basketball (@Memphis_MBB) March 12, 2023
FINAL
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 12, 2023
presented by @thejointchiro#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs
NEXT – NCAA Tournament Selection Show, 5 pm CDT TODAY, @CBSSports pic.twitter.com/IG6ct8elMe
It's almost time to turn up Memphis!!!!!!!
— Memphis Basketball (@Memphis_MBB) March 12, 2023
:29.8 seconds | MEM 73, UH 64 pic.twitter.com/kxk0Nlbahm
Lock in.
— Memphis Basketball (@Memphis_MBB) March 12, 2023
2:10 2H | MEM 72, UH 60 pic.twitter.com/UuFyB0gW6I
MEMPHIS TIMEOUT 3
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 12, 2023
Memphis 70
#1/1 Houston 60
2:23 left | 2H
WATCH on @espn, LISTEN on @KPRCradio 950 AM & @varsity Network app#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs
U-4 TIMEOUT
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 12, 2023
Memphis 70
#1/1 Houston 56
3:51 left | 2H
WATCH on @espn, LISTEN on @KPRCradio 950 AM & @varsity Network app#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs
The best defensive player in the country 😤 @iamalo02 pic.twitter.com/l2lKG7tXMj
— Memphis Basketball (@Memphis_MBB) March 12, 2023
HOUSTON TIMEOUT 1
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 12, 2023
Memphis 70
#1/1 Houston 55
4:35 left | 2H
WATCH on @espn, LISTEN on @KPRCradio 950 AM & @varsity Network app#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs
👋 Tiger Nation pic.twitter.com/BxpgzT9kvb
— Memphis Tigers (@TigersAthletics) March 12, 2023
A new career-high 17 rebounds for @JwanRoberts13! 👏👏👏#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/Ar9SAitwZ7
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 12, 2023
U-8 TIMEOUT
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 12, 2023
Memphis 60
#1/1 Houston 53
7:32 left | 2H
WATCH on @espn, LISTEN on @KPRCradio 950 AM & @varsity Network app#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs
Clutch triple from @MbkDmann to help push the lead back to double digits.
— Memphis Basketball (@Memphis_MBB) March 12, 2023
8:55 2H | MEM 60, UH 50 pic.twitter.com/NJYopYVWa1
Kendric Davis has now broken the @American_MBB Tournament record for points with 78 and counting #AmericanHoops x @Memphis_MBB pic.twitter.com/xDzRHVVprz
— The American (@American_Conf) March 12, 2023
.@Bigdawgmalco23 comes up with a grown man board and putback 💪
— Memphis Basketball (@Memphis_MBB) March 12, 2023
11:03 2H | MEM 55, UH 48 pic.twitter.com/cWx4wOeF1O
U-12 TIMEOUT
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 12, 2023
Memphis 55
#1/1 Houston 48
11:03 left | 2H
WATCH on @espn, LISTEN on @KPRCradio 950 AM & @varsity Network app#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs
.@Thejshead banks it in from THREE!!!#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/2IzvUJZJJQ
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 12, 2023
J'WAN ROBERTS!!! 🗣🗣🗣#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/OmSRJRuc9T
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 12, 2023
MEMPHIS TIMEOUT 2
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 12, 2023
Memphis 50
#1/1 Houston 40
14:27 left | 2H
Coogs on 7-0 run over last 2:30
WATCH on @espn, LISTEN on @KPRCradio 950 AM & @varsity Network app#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs
U-16 TIMEOUT
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 12, 2023
Memphis 50
#1/1 Houston 36
15:49 left | 2H
WATCH on @espn, LISTEN on @KPRCradio 950 AM & @varsity Network app#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs
.@jaracew from behind the arc!#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/PB5p5AKdC4
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 12, 2023
No cool down mode for KD. Another 3⃣ to get us started in the second half.
— Memphis Basketball (@Memphis_MBB) March 12, 2023
16:13 2H | MEM 50, UH 36 pic.twitter.com/ilWv2AaVkr
Memphis ball to start the second half...
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 12, 2023
And we are underway
WATCH on @espn, LISTEN on @KPRCradio 950 AM & @varsity Network app#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs
One half closer#GoTigersGo pic.twitter.com/Vz0R0jyjve
— Memphis Basketball (@Memphis_MBB) March 12, 2023