Quick Facts
- Date: March 24, 1973. ([sports-reference.com](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/memphis/men/1973-schedule.html?utm_source=openai))
- Location: St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Missouri. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_NCAA_University_Division_basketball_tournament?utm_source=openai))
- Stage: NCAA national semifinal (Final Four). ([ncaa.com](https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2020-05-18/1973-ncaa-tournament-bracket-scores-stats-records?utm_source=openai))
- Result: Memphis State 98, Providence 85. ([sports-reference.com](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/boxscores/1973-03-24-memphis.html?utm_source=openai))
- Key figures (Memphis State): Larry Kenon 28 points, 22 rebounds; Ronnie Robinson 24 points, 16 rebounds; Larry Finch 21 points; Head Coach Gene Bartow. ([sports-reference.com](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/boxscores/1973-03-24-memphis.html?utm_source=openai))
- Notable moment: Providence star Marvin Barnes injured his knee in the first half (returned late but limited). ([ncaa.com](https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/flashback-friday/2015-02-27/ernie-and-marvin?utm_source=openai))
- What came next: The win sent Memphis to its first NCAA title game; the Tigers fell to UCLA, 87–66. ([ncaa.com](https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2020-05-18/1973-ncaa-tournament-bracket-scores-stats-records?utm_source=openai))
Main Story
On March 24, 1973, Memphis State (now the University of Memphis) defeated Providence, 98–85, in the national semifinal at St. Louis Arena to reach the NCAA championship game for the first time. The Friars opened fast behind All-American guard Ernie DiGregorio, but the game turned when Providence’s dominant forward Marvin Barnes injured his knee late in the first half. He later returned but could not swing the outcome. ([ncaa.com](https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2020-05-18/1973-ncaa-tournament-bracket-scores-stats-records?utm_source=openai))
From there, the Tigers’ frontcourt took command. Larry Kenon’s 28 points and 22 rebounds, paired with Ronnie Robinson’s 24 points and 16 boards and Larry Finch’s 21 points, powered a second-half surge that sealed the 98–85 victory. Box scores and university records document one of the greatest single-game efforts in Memphis postseason history. ([sports-reference.com](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/boxscores/1973-03-24-memphis.html?utm_source=openai))
The result sent Memphis State to the title game two days later, capping a breakthrough March run that still resonates in Memphis history across the 901. ([ncaa.com](https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2020-05-18/1973-ncaa-tournament-bracket-scores-stats-records?utm_source=openai))
Legacy
Beyond the scoreboard, the 1973 run helped solidify Tiger basketball as a civic institution in the Bluff City. Contemporary accounts noted that city leaders saw the team as a unifying force in a community still healing from the late 1960s—an enduring storyline that continues to shape how Memphis celebrates its teams from Beale Street to neighborhoods across the 901. ([washingtonpost.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/03/31/1973-final-four-bill-walton-memphis/?utm_source=openai))
Program histories and NCAA records mark the Providence win as a landmark moment: Memphis State’s first Final Four victory and the launching point to its first NCAA title-game appearance—a benchmark that remains central to the Tigers’ identity and to Memphis history. ([gotigersgo.com](https://gotigersgo.com/sports/2015/6/25/MBB_0625150024.aspx?utm_source=openai))
Leave a Reply