For most of the first half, Connecticut kept last weekend’s game with undefeated Cincinnati competitive. The Huskies trailed by a touchdown late in the first half and were driving. An apparent touchdown turned out to be merely a close call when the receiver was ruled to have touched the sideline.

Tulane held a 26-14 lead with 12 minutes left in Memphis’ loss to the Green Wave last Friday night. The Tigers defense faced a much-needed stop on third-and-9 at the Memphis 46-yard line. 

Here are this week's high school football statistical leaders. For omissions and corrections, please e-mail jvarlas@dailymemphian.com

The Memphis Tigers released the schedule for Thursday night’s long-anticipated Memphis Madness event at FedExForum, the christening of coach Penny Hardaway’s inaugural season.

When it was all over--when she had gotten finshed covering just about every blade of grass at the Collierville Middle School soccer field--Cara Young could finally allow herself a smile.

It will be the Memphis sports moment of the year. It will be a moment that summons the past and embraces the future and celebrates the return of a favorite son.

Quarterback Brady McBride stood in the shotgun formation, went through his pre-snap routine and received the ball from center.

Here is this week's Daily Memphian high school honor roll, saluting the top performers in each of the fall sports.

Forward Kyvon Davenport was never better than in the Memphis Tigers’ first-round 79-77 victory over USF in the American Athletic Conference Tournament last March. Career-high 29 points, nine rebounds, 10-for-13 from the floor, 4-for-7 from 3-point range.

Here's the complete Week 8 high school football schedule for teams in the Memphis area. All games are at 7 p.m. unless noted.

The Grizzlies made their preseason debut Tuesday night in Birmingham with a 131-115 loss to the Houston Rockets. Scores don’t really matter in the preseason, but here’s a chain of thoughts on things that might:

Derrick Rose brought down the house with a preposterous dunk. Rapper Rick Ross canceled on his first Madness visit but made it for the next. Gary Parrish won a chicken-wing eating contest, Larry Finch returned (after he was fired) to coach an alumni game and D.J. Stephens paid tribute to one of the greatest Memphis players ever by wearing his jersey for a dunk contest. All these things happened at Memphis Madness, which is what John Calipari renamed it sometime along the way. So here’s the complete and colorful history of the event, drawn from my notes, columns, memories and newspaper archives. 

Head coach Mike Norvell delivered a simple message in light of his team’s 40-24 loss to the Tulane Green Wave last Friday – the Tigers need to be better to get past Connecticut this Saturday.

Fresh off a successful three-week run in France, Rachel Heck was back on familar ground at WillowBrook Golf Club. And the result looked equally familiar.

Head coach Mike Norvell’s offense is searching for their rhythm after a 40-24 loss where the Memphis defense was on the field almost twice as much as the offense.  

On Oct. 19 at FedExForum, the Memphis Grizzlies will tip off a new season against the Atlanta Hawks. At that moment, with ball and anticipation in the air, last season’s 22-60 debacle officially moves off-stage.

If things hold to form, Tuesday could be another big day for Shelby County Division 2 golf.

Editor’s Note: This is the third of a five-part series previewing the Grizzlies roster.

The peak and the valley arrived on a Thursday night in late February at FedExForum.

Head coach Mike Norvell didn’t try to hide his displeasure Monday when reliving Memphis’ performance that contributed to the Tigers first loss to Tulane since 2000.  

Behind the counter at the Horseshoe Casino’s sportsbook in Tunica, employees wearing black-and-white striped shirts are taking wagers. The ghost of disgraced NBA referee Tim Donaghy apparently is not even a memory, bad karma having been cast out on these winds of change.

Truck racing. Mixed martial arts. College lacrosse. Rodeo. College hockey. Bull riding. And pro bowling.

The first FedEx St. Jude Invitational, a World Golf Championships event, is still almost 10 months away. But at TPC Southwind near the tournament office, a backhoe stands on a hill ready to be put to work.

The final dance contestant was Yuta Watanabe.

Memphis fell to the Tulane Green Wave 40-24 Friday night in a game where the Tigers were favored by two touchdowns. Head coach Mike Norvell said the performance didn’t look like the product he has gotten used to the Tigers putting on the football field.