MEMPHIS Tigers have upset the top-seeded Houston Cougars in the American Athletic Conference final by 10 points to claim the championship in the biggest of games heading into March Madness.

The Tigers delivered a stunning performance in the opening half to unravel the nation’s best side and take a commanding lead in the first 10 minutes of the match. After holding a 15-point scoreboard advantage at the main change, Memphis held all of the momentum heading into the final half of the AAC fixture.

Although the Cougars lifted after half-time and were able to find holes in a Memphis defence that was suffocating in the first half, the damage was already done. The Tigers seemingly had an answer for everything the opposition threw at them, and although they were outscored by five in the second half, they still held on to claim a 75-65 triumph.

The win saw Memphis claim its first ever AAC Championship in the school’s history, as the team appears to be hitting its straps heading into the biggest few weeks on the college sports calendar.

There is no doubt who was the standout player for the match, with Memphis guard Kendric Davis dominating from start to finish. He was exceptional on the offensive end, and looked like one of the best players in the country throughout patches of his side’s win.

He had shown his scoring capability in the past, and put it together on the big stage against the number one side. Davis finished the match with the most amount of points of any player on the court with 31. The guard shot 10/21 from the field, 3/6 from three-point territory and a perfect 8/8 from the free throw line. Despite putting a number of defensive strategies in place to slow him down, the Cougars could not stop Davis from scoring.

DeAndre Williams poured in a double-double of his own with 16 points (6/10 FG) and 13 rebounds, while Alex Lomax produced a vital 10 points off the bench on 80 per cent shooting from the field.

For Houston, Jwan Roberts fought valiantly to get his side over the line, pulling down a whopping 20 rebounds (10 offensive, 10 defensive) to go with 12 points, in a performance that required plenty of energy and physicality.

With the win, the Tigers have now booked the No. 8 seed in the NCAA tournament, and will face off against the No. 9 seeded FAU, as the side looks to keep its momentum rolling.