Niels Giffey scores career-high 24 points, No. 21 UConn sweeps No. 19 Memphis with 72-53 rout

Connecticut guard Shabazz Napier celebrates a score against Memphis during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference men's tournament Thursday, March 13, 2014, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) (The Associated Press)

Connecticut coach Kevin Ollie gestures to his players during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Memphis in the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference men's tournament Thursday, March 13, 2014, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) (The Associated Press)

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Niels Giffey scored a career-high 24 points, hitting six 3-pointers, as No. 21 UConn finished off a season sweep of 19th-ranked Memphis by routing the Tigers 73-53 Thursday night in the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference tournament.

The fourth-seeded Huskies (25-7) now have won four of their past five, and a team that was barred from the Big East tournament last year will be playing No. 13 Cincinnati, a 61-58 winner over UCF, in the semifinals Friday night.

Memphis (23-9) played as a visitor on its own court as the league's No. 5 seed where the Tigers had won 15 straight conference tournament games dating back to 2005 in Conference USA. But they struggled mightily in their fourth consecutive game against a ranked team.

DeAndre Daniels had 13 points for UConn. Shabazz Napier, the American's player of the year, and Terrence Samuel each finished with 11.