Preview: Tulane vs. Memphis in American Athletic Championship

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Interstat) — A recent overtime thriller will get an immediate encore with a season on the line when Tulane faces Memphis in the opening round of the American Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Championship on Wednesday.

The seed Green Wave (16-14) and the seed Tigers (13-18) will meet at Legacy Arena just four days after Memphis escaped New Orleans with a 96-95 overtime victory on March 8. The winner advances to face top-seeded South Florida on Thursday.

Wednesday’s matchup hinges on a compelling guard duel. Tulane’s Rowan Brumbaugh is coming off a career-high 31-point performance in the loss to Memphis, capping a stretch where he averaged 18.1 points over his last seven games. Memphis counters with Dug McDaniel, who posted 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists in Sunday’s win and is averaging 18.4 points over his past five contests.

The teams have split their regular-season series, with Tulane winning 78-76 in Memphis on Feb. 1 before the Tigers’ narrow overtime payback. Both clubs limp into Birmingham, however. Tulane has lost four straight games since a three-game winning streak in mid-February, including a 30-point loss to Tulsa on Feb. 25. Memphis has dropped eight of its last 10 games, though the victory over Tulane snapped a five-game skid.

In Sunday’s meeting, Tulane’s Asher Woods added 21 points and Curtis Williams recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. For Memphis, Quante Berry scored 22 points and Zach Davis added 11 points and eight boards to support McDaniel’s all-around effort.

The game tips off at approximately 12:30 p.m. CDT. The loser’s season will end, while the winner earns another day in Birmingham and a daunting challenge against the conference’s regular-season champion.