DENTON, Texas — Memphis basketball could not afford to lose Thursday at North Texas.

Not if it wanted any legitimate shot at an NCAA tournament at-large bid. The Tigers’ resume’ had taken too many hits since starting the season 15-2.

But Memphis – a top-15 team a month ago – did lose to the Mean Green (14-10, 7-5 AAC) at a half-full Super Pit, 76-66. Jason Edwards and John Buggs III combined to drop 42 points on the Tigers (18-7, 7-5) to flummox and frustrate. It didn’t much matter which lineup combination coach Penny Hardaway tried – and there were many – some weren’t effective for long enough, while others never worked.

Memphis, which trailed by as many as 15 points in the second half, battled back, cutting the deficit to 71-66 with 1:47 to play. But it was not to be.

The Tigers have six regular-season games remaining, starting Sunday (3 p.m., ESPN) at SMU. But, already on the wrong side of the March Madness bubble, it’s unlikely that anything short of running the table will save them from having to win the AAC Tournament to get back to the Big Dance.

Here are five observations from the game.

David Jones: Bad time for a bad game

Memphis has grown so accustomed to outstanding offense from the conference’s leading scorer David Jones that his performance versus North Texas was almost eye-popping.

And it couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time.

Jones had not been held under 17 points since Nov. 24 (Villanova). His 3-pointer with 2:39 left in the game gave him 14 points, but it was just his second made field goal of the game. He missed 11 field goal attempts (six from long range), including an air-ball with less than a minute left in the game.

Jones found a way to contribute offensively, making all eight of his free throw attempts. He also came down with 16 rebounds.

It wasn’t just David Jones

Outside of Jaykwon Walton’s 13 points, no other player for the Tigers got into double figures.

Nicholas Jourdain finished with nine, while Malcolm Dandridge put up eight. Memphis shot under 35% from the floor, which included going 9-for-29 from 3-point range.

How it got out of hand

Tigers turnovers and wide-open Mean Green 3-pointers.

Memphis, which gifted North Texas 12 of its first 17 points, committed nine turnovers (some unforced) in the first 10 minutes, 15 seconds.

Further complicating things, the Tigers’ 3-point defense early in the first half left a lot to be desired. The Mean Green made their eighth 3-pointer of the first half with 9:37 to play before halftime, staking them to a 24-13 lead. North Texas, which came into the game averaging eight made 3-pointers per game this season, scored 27 of its 33 first-half points via the 3-pointer.

North Texas finished with 16 made 3-pointers, the most Memphis has allowed in regulation this season.

How Memphis temporarily restored order

As bleak as things got for the Tigers, they eventually snapped out of it.

An angry Hardaway removed several starters – Jahvon Quinerly, Nae’Qwan Tomlin and Jones – early on. By the 8:30 mark, they had all been reinserted, and off they went.

Memphis got contributions from a variety of sources during the 12-0 run that began with 8:30 on the clock. But it was Nicholas Jourdain’s 3-pointer that gave the Tigers a 25-24 lead with 3:36 to go before the break.

North Texas went into halftime up 33-30. Jones’ 3-pointer at the buzzer kept the home team from going in up by six points.

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North Texas’ chef cooks again

The sophomore guard from Atlanta, Edwards has been North Texas’ sparkplug all season. But especially since the team has been without starters Rubin Jones and CJ Noland, who have both missed multiple games, including Thursday’s, due to injury.

Edwards came into the game against Memphis leading the Mean Green with 18.0 points per game. Despite being the clear No. 1 option, he backed up his billing against the Tigers. Edwards drilled Memphis time and again from the 3-point line, finishing with seven makes on nine attempts.

Edwards wound up with 30 points.

Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @munzly.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis basketball falls flat in damaging loss at North Texas