Field Level Media - Professional sports content solutions | FLM

PJ Haggerty scored 21 of his 27 points in the second half and No. 21 Memphis rallied from an 11-point deficit for a 64-62 road win against Virginia on Wednesday night in Charlottesville, Va.

Haggerty made 8 of 15 field goals and 10 of 11 free throws and the Tigers (9-2) improved to 6-0 against ACC foes under seventh-year coach Penny Hardaway.

Dain Dainja added 12 points and 11 rebounds for Memphis, which survived uncommonly cold 3-point shooting and finished with a season low in points. Tyrese Hunter added 12 points.

The Cavaliers (6-5) lost for the first time in six home games this season and fell to 0-4 against ranked opponents. Elijah Saunders scored 15 points and Taine Murray matched his career high with 14.

Down by 11 early in the second half, the Tigers turned up the defensive pressure and let Haggerty go to work.

Haggerty scored 11 points during an 18-5 run that gave Memphis its first lead of the night at 39-37 with 12:31 left.

Another run of five unanswered points by Haggerty helped push the Tigers’ advantage to 47-39.

The largest Memphis lead was 55-46 on Moussa Cisse’s tip with 5:57 remaining.

Virginia pulled within 60-56 on Saunders’ 3-pointer with 2:07 to play.

After a free throw by Hunter, Dai Dai Ames made two foul shots for the Cavaliers with 19.7 seconds left to cut the deficit to 61-58.

Colby Rogers went to the line for Memphis with 18.0 seconds to play and made 1 of 2.

After a bucket by Virginia’s Jacob Cofie got Virginia within 62-60, Haggerty made two final free throws with eight seconds left to ice the win.

Memphis came in as the nation’s No. 2 3-point shooting team at 44.3 percent but shot just 21.7 percent from deep (5 of 23).

Virginia never trailed in the first half and built a 30-21 lead at the break.

The Cavaliers’ largest lead of the half was 27-16 on a free throw by Ames with 2:53 left.

–Field Level Media