The Wildcats went on a 15-6 run to open the second half to take the lead but had to hold on to win.
Down 75-66 the Tigers rattled off five quick points and looked like they could put a scare into the Wildcats with 2:07 to play.
The Wildcats turned over the ball on the next possession but poor shot selection and good foul shooting by the Wildcats allowed the Cats to hang on.
Memphis was on fire in the first half, hitting 6-of-10 from behing the arc, making the Wildcats scramble in their zone defense. They could not keep up the pace in the second half. The Tigers missed their first 10 threes, while the Wildcats built up a double digit lead.
Mustafa Shakur continues to have a solid senior season. The Wildcat point guard scored 23 points, dished out five assists and grabbed six rebounds.
Ivan Radenovic and Chase Budinger each added 18 points.
Jeremy Hunt led an impressive bench for the Tigers. The senior guard scored 21 points as Memphis got 47 of their 71 points from reserves.