MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis basketball was finally back in action Wednesday, turning heads with a 73-56 rout of Saint Mary's in the opening round of the Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic.
After falling in an early 8-0 hole, the Tigers responded with overpowering pace, outscoring the Gaels 43-18 for the remainder of the first half and shooting a blistering 17-for-21 from the field in the final 8 minutes before the break.
"We didn’t do everything perfect," head coach Penny Hardaway said. "But we played really hard, play for each other, did some great things out there, and ended up beating a really good team. So I’m really proud of the guys."
Just two minutes and 42 seconds into the game, down 7-0 at the time, Memphis went to their bench.
Boogie Ellis checked in, forgetting to remove his facemask as he stepped on the court.
As play resumed, Ellis was unmasked and unleashed.
The Tigers sophomore looked like the consensus Top-40 recruit that Memphis was promised, dropping 20 points in the first half, a career-high 24 for the game, and shooting 6-for-7 from deep.
Ellis, who struggled through much of his freshman campaign, tweeted "Pain" pregame before debuting the season on the bench.
"I just reminded myself that I didn't want to feel last year, the way I played last year," Ellis said. "That's all that was."
"I think he was going to play like that whether he started or not," Hardaway said. "Kind of like Lou Williams. He is a starter. But he comes off the bench and averages 20-21 points a game. We don't know if he's going to get 24 a game, but we're going to give him a chance to get buckets every game."
Five-star freshman Moussa Cisse was an immediate impact for Memphis, flirting with a double-double in his college debut.
"For a high school player who reclassified up and came to college early, for him to have his first game, 10 points, seven rebounds, is pretty doggone good," Hardaway said. "He is only going to get better every game."
The Tigers have an 11:00 a.m. tip on Thanksgiving Day, taking on Western Kentucky in the semifinals.