A Glimmer of Hope

On a night Memphis badly needed something to feel good about, Sincere Parker delivered a performance that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.

Memphis walked into Bartow Arena and beat UAB Blazers 90–80, powered by Parker’s 40 points in a game that felt like it had real stakes again.  He was 14-for-20 from the field, buried six threes, and basically kept Memphis afloat every time UAB threatened to flip the game. 

Memphis set the tone early, taking a 44–35 lead into halftime, then matched UAB’s punch in the second half to keep control the rest of the way.  The Tigers didn’t need a perfect team night. They needed one guy to take over, and Parker did exactly that.

And because it was UAB, it meant a little more.

This matchup has been simmering since 1984, and it’s become one of those games where the crowd, the energy, and the emotions always feel a notch higher than a typical conference night. The rivalry even has a name across sports: the “Battle for the Bones.”  In men’s basketball specifically, Memphis has owned the series historically—Memphis leads 44–12 all-time through this game.  But rivalry games don’t care about history; they care about who shows up.

Last night, Memphis showed up with a star performance and a road win that can actually build momentum. If the Tigers are going to make a run, it starts with nights like this—when the game gets tight, the arena gets loud, and somebody in a Memphis jersey decides it’s not ending in a loss.

That somebody was Sincere Parker. 

Parker’s 40 points were historic. He became just the 12th Tiger in program history to score 40+ in a game.  That puts him alongside Memphis legends like Larry Finch (48), Leslie Steele (42), Jeremiah Martin (43), and recent stars like Kendric Davis (42) and P.J. Haggerty (42).

The last Tiger to hit 40 was P.J. Haggerty’s 42 last season.

Here’s a list of every Tiger in the 40-Point-Club:

Here’s the full Memphis “40-point club” (men’s basketball) with dates + opponents:

48 — Larry Finch vs Saint Joseph’s Hawks — 1/20/1973 

46 — Forest Arnold vs Hardin — 12/7/1955 

44 — Dick Kinder vs Marshall Thundering Herd — 12/11/1953 

43 — Jeremiah Martin vs Tulane Green Wave — 2/20/2019 

42 — Kendric Davis at UCF Knights — 1/11/2023 

42 — P. J. Haggerty vs Wichita State Shockers — 3/14/2025 

42 — Elliot Perry vs East Tennessee — 1/30/1991 

42 — Leslie Steele vs Southwestern — 2/17/1942 

41 — Marcus Moody vs Oklahoma Sooners — 12/13/1997 

40 — Sincere Parker at UAB Blazers — 2/5/2026 

40 — Win Wilfong vs Union — 12/1/1955 

In a time where we needed it, Sincere Parker offered Memphis a glimmer of hope. Go Tigers Go!