Memphis improved to 4-0 on the season in American Athletic Conference men's basketball action on Friday, November 19.

Friday, November 19
Memphis 74, Western Kentucky 62 - Box Score
East Carolina 73, Old Dominion 60 - Box Score
Boise State 82, Temple 62 - Box Score
Auburn 58, South Florida 52 - Box Score
Arizona 82, Wichita State 78 (OT) - Box Score

Memphis 74, Western Kentucky 62 - Box Score
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Jalen Duren had 22 points, 19 rebounds and five blocks as No. 11 Memphis beat Western Kentucky 74-62 in a sloppy game on Friday night.

DeAndre Williams added 13 points and Earl Timberlake finished with 10 for the Tigers (4-0).

Camron Justice led the Hilltoppers (1-3) with 18 points, while Jairus Hamilton scored 14. Dayvion McKnight had 11 points and eight rebounds as Western Kentucky lost its third straight.

It was the play of Duren controlling the middle that kept the Tigers from dropping their first game of the season.

“Jalen’s energy definitely made up for those mistakes that we made shooting the ball in the first half. We shot the ball horrible,” Memphis coach Penny Hardaway said, adding: “Thank God for Jalen Duren tonight because he kept us in the game and won it for us.”

Duren had 11 points and 12 rebounds in the second half and helped the Tigers pull away.

“That’s why he’s one of the best players in America,” Western Kentucky coach Rick Stansbury said “He beat us up around that rim. He got those put-backs. He’s hard to keep out and keep off that rim.”

The game ratcheted up the competition for the Tigers, who travel to New York next week to play in the NIT Season Tip-off. They will face Virginia Tech in the opener.

“I’m thankful for a game like this right before we go on the road,” Hardaway said. “I think everything has been so easy that the guys get a little complacent. Tonight, we got into a good game.”

Memphis shot poorly from 3-point range and committed 26 turnovers, keeping Western Kentucky in the game even when the Tigers stretched their second-half lead to double digits.

Western Kentucky had its own problems with 25 turnovers and poor free-throw shooting.

“You can point to a couple of things. You can point to turnovers. We had 25,” Stansbury said. “Then the free-throw line. You can’t go 5 for 13 from the foul line. Those kinds of things just take the air from you.”

The Hilltoppers gave Memphis by far its toughest challenge this season, leading by as many as 10 points in the first half. Memphis went 1 of 7 from 3-point range in the first half against the Western Kentucky zone defense. A late rush by Memphis left the game tied at 38 at the break.

“Give them credit for going to a zone,” Hardaway said. “We work on zone every day. Got a little stagnant on the offensive end.”

Western Kentucky had its own turnover issues in the first half, preventing any kind of flow to the game. In the second half, Memphis’ defense held the Hilltoppers to 26.5% shooting. Memphis was better at 39.4%, but made only one of its nine 3-point attempts after halftime.

“We didn’t win the game, but I’m awful proud of the way our guys came in here and battled,” Stansbury said. “We just played one of the better teams in the country. And we were right there.”

East Carolina 73, Old Dominion 60 - Box Score
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.-- Tristen Newton scored 18 points as East Carolina defeated Old Dominion, 73-60, in the Myrtle Beach Invitational on Friday.

The Pirates, who improved to 4-1 on the season, also had Brandon Johnson (16 points) and Brandon Suggs (10 points) in double figures.

Kalu Ezikpe led the Monarchs with 16 points.

Boise State 82, Temple 62 - Box Score
CHARLESTON, S.C. -- — Emmanuel Akot posted 16 points and six assists as Boise State romped past Temple 82-62 in the Charleston Classic on Friday.

Akot made 4 of 6 3-pointers.

Abu Kigab had 13 points and six assists for Boise State (2-2). Mladen Armus added 11 points. Marcus Shaver Jr. had 10 points.

Khalif Battle had 19 points for the Owls (1-3). Sage Tolbert III added seven rebounds.

Auburn 58, South Florida 52 - Box Score
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — K.D. Johnson scored 15 points, Zep Jasper added 13 and No. 21 Auburn rallied to beat South Florida 58-52 on Friday night.

Jabari Smith hit a 3-pointer 10 minutes into the second half during a 15-0 stretch that gave Auburn (3-0) its first lead at 42-40. It was the third made 3-pointer by Auburn in 21 tries to that point.

Jaylin Williams and Devan Cambridge had consecutive slams to start the run with USF leading 40-31. Johnson had two layups, including one after a nifty steal, that helped the Tigers go up 46-40.

“K.D. is important to us,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “K.D. has got the ability to do things against the best players on our schedule. He’s got that level, and we needed some of that tonight. I want more and more from him as the season goes on. He’s a dangerous man out there.”

Caleb Murphy scored 19 points and Javon Greene added 15 for South Florida (2-2), which was coming off a 56-54 comeback win over North Carolina A&T on Monday.

“I thought it was going to be a battle,” USF coach Brian Gregory said. “I thought if we went out there and played with some fight, which I thought we did, we’d be able to compete and we proved that we could do that. We’re just not quite good enough yet to win that game.”

Smith, a standout freshman coming off his first career double-double in a win over Louisiana-Monroe on Nov. 12, had nine points and 10 rebounds.

“Jabari is such a talented player,” Pearl said. “He lets the game come to him. He’s not afraid of the moment.”

Greene hit a 3 to pull USF within 55-52 with 2:30 remaining, but Sam Hines Jr. missed two free throws in the final minute.

Jasper made it 57-52 by making a pair of free throws with 32 seconds left.

Murphy had 11 points as USF took a 33-26 halftime lead.

The Bulls scored the first nine points and led 25-10 before Auburn put together a 10-0 run.

Auburn had five of its nine first-half turnovers in the opening five minutes and was scoreless until Johnson connected on a 3 with 14:43 left.

Arizona 82, Wichita State 78 (OT) - Box Score
LAS VEGAS -- Behind Tyson Etienne's 27 points, Wichita State made a furious second half comeback, but fell to Arizona, 82-78, in overtime, at the Roman Main Event. 

The Shockers (3-1) fell down as many as 16 in the second half with 12:23 remaining, but came back on a 13-0 run to cut the lead to three. Arizona pushed the lead to eight at 63-55 with 6:27, but Wichita State came all the way back, including taking a 1-point lead with 1:41 remaining. Etienne hit a 3-pointer to send the game to overtime.

In the extra session, the Wildcats scored the first nine points, and the Shockers were only able to get within two.

Etienne finished with 27 points after scoring three in the first half. Qua Grant added 13, while Craig Porter Jr. added 11.

Bennedict Mathurin led Arizona with 25 points.