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| February 2004 |
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| 02/29/04 |  |
Tiger Baseball Falls To Kentucky, 2-1, In 12 Innings In Service Academies Classic Final (GoTigersGo.com) |
| Tiger Baseball Falls to Kentucky, 2-1, in 12 Innings in Service Academies Classic Final Five Tiger base runners picked off in loss
Millington, Tenn.-- Kentucky's Spencer Graeter's game-winning RBI-double to the leftfield corner brought home J.B. Schmidt from first base to negate solid pitching and outstanding defense by the University of Memphis baseball team, as the Tigers (3-2) suffered a 2-1 extra-inning loss to Kentucky (7-2) Sunday at the Service Academies Spring Classic. The Wildcats claimed the 2004 Classic championship with the 12-inning win.
The Tigers struck first in the opening frame with a two-out rally. Seniors Josh Payne and Kurt Welch each produced two-out singles before designated hitter Ryan Martin, who went 3-for-5 on the night, plated Payne with a single up the middle to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.
Kentucky answered with the tying tally in the top half of the second. Jesse Barber and Aaron Edwards drew back-to-back walks. First baseman Michael Bertram then singled through the right side to score Barber and tie the ballgame.
The Tiger defense thwarted a pair of UK scoring threats in the seventh and eighth innings when rightfielder Jordan Hart and second baseman Michael Lewis teamed up in both innings to throw out runners attempting to stretch doubles into triples. Payne would also help hold the Wildcats at bay in the ninth when he robbed Kentucky centerfielder John Shelby of a sure extra base hit with a diving catch.
Bill Edwards (0-1) took the loss on the hill for Memphis, although he pitched a solid 4.0 innings, allowing just one run on two hits and striking out a pair of Wildcats in a losing effort.
Memphis starter Stephen Gostkowski gave up one earned run on two hits and struck out six in 5.0 innings before being relieved by Brandon Rowan in the sixth inning. The crafty lefthander held UK scoreless in 2.2 innings of relief.
Both Hart and Lewis had two hits for the Tigers.
Wildcat reliever Matt Scott improved to 3-0 on the mound, giving up six hits and striking out four in 6.2 innings of scoreless ball in relief of starter Kalen Gibson who gave up one earned run in 5.1 innings.
Payne, Martin and Derek Hankins, who struck out a Tiger record-tying 17 batters against Murray State were each named to the All-Tournament team.
The Tigers will return to action when they travel to Murray, Ky. to battle Murray State in a three-game weekend series beginning on Fri., March 5. All-Tournament Team Spencer Graeter, Kentucky (MVP) Mike Breyman, Kentucky Seth Stanley, Kentucky Derek Hankins, Memphis Ryan Martin, Memphis Josh Payne, Memphis Nathan DeRohan, Air Force Corby Heckman, Indiana Clayton Couch, Air Force Derrick Newton, Murray State Jeff Lange, Navy |
| 02/29/04 |  |
Lady Tigers Are No. 6 Seed At C-USA Tournament (GoTigersGo.com) |
| CHICAGO - With a 76-70 victory over No. 13 TCU on Friday, Houston clinched its first-ever Conference USA regular season championship and earned the No. 1 seed in this week's C-USA Women's Basketball Tournament, March 4-7 at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas.
The Cougars claimed its best record ever in C-USA play with 13-1 conference mark, while also becoming the first school since the 1995-96 season to clinch the league crown with only one loss. In the first season of the league, DePaul won the title with a 13-1 league mark and 21-10 record. UH also becomes the ninth different school to earn at least a share of the regular season crown in the league's first nine seasons.
As the No. 1 seed, Houston will have a first round bye at the C-USA Women's Basketball Tournament in Forth Worth. Other teams receiving first round byes include No. 2 TCU, No. 3 Louisville and DePaul. Thursday's first round matchups include: No. 8 USF vs. No. 9 Cincinnati at 1 p.m., No. 5 Marquette vs. No. 12 Tulane at 3 p.m., No. 7 Charlotte vs. No. 10 East Carolina at 6 p.m., and No. 6 Memphis vs. No. 11 UAB at 8 p.m.
In Friday's quarterfinal round, No. 1 Houston will take on the winner of the USF/Cincinnati game at 1 p.m. and No. 4 DePaul will face the winner of the Marquette/Tulane matchup beginning at 3 p.m. No. 2 TCU will take on the winner of the Charlotte/East Carolina game at 6 p.m., while No. 3 Louisville will close out Friday night against the winner of the Memphis/UAB contest at 8 p.m.
All games will be played at the Daniel Meyer Coliseum and game times are central. Live stats will be provided on the conference website at www.conferenceusa.com. Saturday's semifinal games will be televised on the C-USA TV Network. Please check your local listings. The C-USA Championship game on Sunday, March 7, will be broadcasted on ESPN2, beginning at 1 p.m. (CST). For ticket information, please contact your local Conference USA school's ticket office. C-USA Women's Basketball Tournament Daniel-Meyer Coliseum; Fort Worth, Texas Thursday-Sunday, March 4-7. Thursday, March 4 Game One - (8) USF vs. (9) Cincinnati 1 p.m. Game Two - (5) Marquette vs. (12) Tulane 3 p.m. Game Three - (7) Charlotte vs. (10) East Carolina 6 p.m. Game Four - (6) Memphis vs. (11) UAB 8 p.m. Friday, March 5 Game Five - (1) Houston vs. Winner of USF/CIN 1 p.m. Game Six - (4) DePaul vs. Winner of MAR/TUL 3 p.m. Game Seven - (2) TCU vs. Winner of CHA/ECU 6 p.m. Game Eight - (3) Louisville vs. Winner of MEM/UAB 8 p.m. Saturday, March 6 Game Nine - Semifinal No. 1 (C-USA TV Network) 1 p.m. Game 10 - Semifinal No. 2 (C-USA TV Network) 3:30 p.m. Sunday, March 7 Game 11 - Championship (ESPN2) 1 p.m. |
| 02/29/04 |  |
Men's Tennis Upset By UAB, 4-2 (GoTigersGo.com) |
| #4 UAB 4, #3 Memphis 2 Doubles 1. Spence/Walker (UM) def. Klein/Maier (UAB): 8-5 2. Mavrin/Mitrovski (UAB) def. Bucewicz/Tamla (UM): 8-5 3. Mancarella/Zrihen (UAB) def. Campbell/Withell (UM): 8-2 Singles 1. Tobi Klein (UAB) def. No. 76 Lee Taylor Walker (UM): 7-6, 7-6 2. James Spence (UM) def. Anton Mavrin (UAB): 6-1, 6-4 3. Alex Bucewicz (UM) def. Andre Maier (UAB): 6-3, 6-3 4. Kristijan Mitrovski (UAB) def. Marten Tamla (UM): 6-1, 6-3 5. Ruben Zrihen (UAB) v. Sam Withell (UM): Did not finish 6. Sanzaruz Zaman (UAB) def. Alex Jago (UM): 6-3, 7-5 |
| 02/29/04 |  |
All Parties Win If Tigers Play Games In New Arena (Commercial Appeal) |
| Guest columnist Michael D. Rose is chairman of the board of Gaylord Entertainment Inc. and chairman of the University of Memphis Athletic Advisory Committee. February 29, 2004 The debate over moving the University of Memphis men's basketball team to the FedExForum has taken on an Alice in Wonderland quality in which intelligent and well-meaning people are uninformed, misinformed, dis-informed or simply shortsighted. So many myths are being portrayed as facts that citizens and political leaders are right to be confused. I would like to help set the record straight. First, the Tigers never asked for The Pyramid to be built. In the mid-1980s the team had just been to the Final Four, and the university wanted to build an arena on campus to replace the outdated, poorly located and too-small Mid-South Coliseum. State funds were allocated to help build the on-campus arena. At the same time, however, Memphis's political and downtown business leaders wanted a new arena to be built downtown. They pressured the university to abandon its plans and contribute the state money to help build The Pyramid. The $11 million that the university put into The Pyramid was as much as either Memphis or Shelby County contributed going into the project. So the myth that local taxpayers built The Pyramid for the Tigers is just plain wrong. The second myth is that the Tigers want to leave The Pyramid. Before the NBA's Grizzlies made the decision to move to Memphis, political leaders and those who were pursuing the NBA franchise told the U of M that if the Tigers would not oppose their efforts, the university would be kept whole from the obvious financial damage it would suffer from head-to-head competition with an NBA team. Vigorous opposition from the University of Louisville killed any chance of the NBA coming to that town. Our university, in contrast, once again acted as a good citizen. Its leaders supported what they thought was in the best interest of the whole community, despite knowing that an NBA team would compete for fan support and corporate financial support - as it has. When the decision to build FedExForum was made, The Pyramid was doomed. That was an inevitable outcome, just as the Coliseum was made obsolete when The Pyramid was built. When many of the same politicians who are now struggling with the proposed move decided three years ago to give $250 million of the taxpayers' money for the benefit of private business, they doomed The Pyramid, rendered the university's $11 million investment worthless and made the Tigers' home clearly second-class. I wrote the city and county mayors in the spring of 2001, pointing out that the financial cost the taxpayers would bear involved more than just the cost of building FedExForum. It also included an increase in The Pyramid's operating deficit. The Tigers did not ask to play in FedExForum. They were invited by the Grizzlies, who believed it was in their best interest to do so. A majority of the Tigers' fans and boosters, who want to attend games in a new state-of-the-art facility, encouraged them to make the move. The mayors told the university that the move would be best financially for the city and county because it would free The Pyramid of the Tigers' lease and the resulting $1.3 million annual operating deficit. The last myth, and perhaps the most important, is that the Tigers have asked for a taxpayer subsidy. They have not. They have asked for a rebate of the new $1.15 per ticket tax on all events at FedExForum. By playing in FedExForum, estimates are that the Tigers will create at least $270,000 of new tax revenue annually to be applied to the bonds the city and county issued to cover the cost of the new arena. Instead of costing the taxpayers anything, the proposed move to the new arena will actually create $20,000 of net new tax revenue that will not exist if the Tigers stay in The Pyramid. Tax rebates and abatements are common in this community. The Tigers are asking for something that is granted regularly to others our community hopes to attract or retain. I can cite at least three good reasons why the Memphis City Council and Shelby County Commission should rethink their positions on the Tigers' proposal so they can fulfill their role as leaders. The university is the party that will benefit least financially from the proposed move. Its goal from the beginning has been to break even financially, and that is the best it can hope to do. The major benefit to the Tigers of moving, in addition to better recruiting and happier fans and boosters, is in avoiding scheduling conflicts. Both the Tigers and the Grizzlies would suffer if basketball games were scheduled on the same night in two downtown venues, or if the Tigers played in The Pyramid on the same night Jimmy Buffett or Justin Timberlake performed in FedExForum. If both teams are in one world-class location, such conflicts won't occur. City and county taxpayers are the parties with the most to gain financially. The estimated loss of keeping The Pyramid open for the Tigers is more than $1.3 million per year, or $27 million over 20 years. Taxpayers could save as much as $58 million by freeing The Pyramid of the Tigers' lease and finding a buyer or new full-time tenant for the building. A factor that is harder to measure but still important is the opportunity for economic development and higher sales and property tax revenues that would result from the Tigers playing in an arena where fans can walk to and from nearby restaurants, retail and other entertainment venues. Finally, taxpayers already have invested more than $250 million to benefit the Grizzlies. That decision is made. Having the Tigers in FedExForum will clearly help the Grizzlies, and we should all want the Grizzlies to succeed. Although the Grizzlies have agreed to pay up to $800,000 annually to the Tigers, the Tigers must pay back $180,000 in rent, increasing annually with inflation. Because the $800,000 payments can be reduced if attendance falls below certain levels, and the Grizzlies retain all the revenue from concessions, parking, suite sales and advertising, the university has no real financial guarantees - only an opportunity to deliver enough fans to help both themselves and the Grizzlies. Its goal in negotiations with the Grizzlies has been only to keep itself whole at a time when state financial support is dwindling and costs are escalating. The proposed contract was negotiated in good faith, and in full communication with both mayors. If they neglected to keep council members and commissioners informed, the university should not be punished for their mistake. Viewed without the rhetoric and misinformation that has swirled around it, the proposal that the council and commissioners have been asked to vote on is a win-win-win-win. The Tigers win because they avoid scheduling conflicts and their fans will attend games in a world-class arena in the heart of our retail, restaurant and entertainment district. The county and city win by getting at least $20,000 of net new tax revenue annually, and saving between $27 million and $58 million over the next 20 years. The Grizzlies win, and so does our most important corporate citizen, FedEx, through the enhanced value of its investment in naming rights to the arena. Our elected officials are making their decisions in a difficult environment, one of tension between the Memphis mayor and City Council members and residual anger about past decisions to build FedExForum and The Pyramid. Right or wrong, those decisions cannot be undone. But we now have an opportunity to regroup, take the emotion out, let the facts in and do what is best for our community. Taxpayers are the biggest winners in the proposed transaction. If we continue to look only backward, everyone will lose - the taxpayers most of all. |
| 02/29/04 | |
Louisville Ends U of M Streak -- Wounded Tigers Can't Scrap Back (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Gary Parrish Contact February 29, 2004 LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Antonio Burks sat motionless in the locker room, then leaned back in a chair, as disappointment seethed from his ailing body. One reporter put a tape recorder in his face. Another shoved a microphone. And in just a couple of hushed sentences, the University of Memphis point guard captured the feeling of the afternoon, making it clear that a loss hurts a lot more than a strained abdomen ever could. "This doesn't feel right," Burks said. "I haven't felt this way in a long, long time." The 19th-ranked Tigers' 11-game winning streak is no more, thanks to a 66-60 defeat at No. 21 Louisville on Saturday that featured every ingredient required for big-time college athletics. An electric atmosphere? The 19,824 mostly rowdy Cardinal fans took care of that. A close game between bitter rivals? The U of M's run that turned a 14-point deficit into a one-possession contest in the final minute took care of that. Future pros on each side with huge outings? Sean Banks's 26 points for Memphis and Francisco Garcia's 18 points for the Cardinals took care of that. All of the above was poured into a Freedom Hall bowl, some questionable officiating, heated exchanges between players and unlikely shots were mixed in, and after 40 minutes of basketball, what remained were two spent teams, two exhausted coaches and plenty of compliments from both sides. "I have to give Memphis credit because they never stopped," said Louisville coach Rick Pitino. Then Memphis's John Calipari walked in and added, "It was a heck of a basketball game." Which it was. And had the Tigers (20-5, 11-3 in Conference USA) been at full strength - not by preseason standards; just by tip-off standards - who knows how things would've gone? That - and the recurring "How did we miss nine of 16 free-throws in the second half?" - was the main question in the Memphis camp afterward, and for good reason. The Tigers played stretches without Rodney Carney (sprained ankle in the first half) and Anthony Rice (foul trouble throughout), which depleted an already decimated roster. And when Burks suffered a strained abdomen that demanded a halftime shot just to make it tolerable to finish, it became clear that a Memphis victory would require a mask and gun. In other words, the Tigers were going to have to steal one under adverse conditions, and they nearly did. Facing a 58-48 deficit with less than seven minutes left, Memphis made a run, and the Cardinals (18-7, 8-6) seemed to be headed for their fifth consecutive loss. Banks hit a three. Burks hit a two, then a three. Banks hit a free-throw. And when Garcia missed a jumper at the other end that landed in Arthur Barclay's arms, the Tigers had the ball with 69 seconds remaining, trailing 61-57. "And it was silent," Calipari said. "I thought we were going to win the game." If not for bad decisions - Burks turned the ball over on a spin move, then forced a shot two possessions later - Memphis might have. Instead, the Tigers are tied atop the C-USA standings with Cincinnati and enter Wednesday's home finale with TCU in need of a victory to ensure their league title destiny remains in their control. "How we come back against TCU will determine it all," said Memphis forward Duane Erwin. "We've just got to come back and go out and play them hard." - Gary Parrish: 529-2365 |
| 02/29/04 | |
Fretting? Just Stop! Next Star Waiting (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Geoff Calkins Contact LOUISVILLE, Ky. - John Calipari scanned the bench for options. Not Rodney Carney, out with a sprained ankle. Not Jeremy Hunt, out with a spaghetti knee. Not Anthony Rice, out with three fouls. Not . . . hey, wait, right behind the bench, isn't that Harold Ford Jr.? The congressman? In the FedEx cap? "I played football players, I played accountants, we had a receptionist in the game," Calipari said. "I was ready to put him in." And maybe he should have. The man has proven he can lead. "I think he'd make a good point guard," said Antonio Burks, who should know. "Right now, we're doing whatever we can." Alas, it wasn't enough Saturday, as the Louisville Cardinals ended the Memphis Tigers' 11-game winning streak, 66-60. But one word for any Memphis fans tempted to fret about the loss: Pshaw. The Tigers are still going to the NCAA Tournament. They're still in control in Conference USA. They can still clinch first place in the conference if they win their final two games and - given the way they played Saturday - they have a darn good shot. Which is why Calipari walked around the locker room after the game urging his players to cut out the moping and stuff. "I'm saying, 'Would you stop?' " Calipari said. " 'Just stop!' " This game meant everything to the Cardinals, who had lost four in a row coming in. They hit every emotional button, pulled every psychological string. Midway through the first half, Louisville had already honored: 1) its seniors, 2) two former Cardinal players who were on New England's Super Bowl team, and 3) a group of Louisville graduates who fought in Iraq. But Memphis still led by a point. Were the Cardinals going to exhume Johnny Unitas next? Which is when Burks went down with, well, we turn to Dr. Calipari for the official diagnosis. "He pulled some muscle somewhere," Calipari said. In related news, back in Memphis, 10,000 hearts stopped. Calipari sent in Maurice Avery, the Memphis football player. When coaches say they like to have a quarterback on the court, this is not at all what they mean. Memphis turned the ball over six straight times. Oh, and Carney twisted his ankle. And Rice got his third foul. Look, Ma, no guards! But Memphis hung in there, thanks to the dual brilliance of Burks and Sean Banks. Burks got a shot at halftime. Pain? What pain? When Burks stole the ball and nailed a 3-pointer to cut Louisville's lead to 4 with 3:29 left, Calipari heard the most glorious noise. "It was silent," he said. "I thought we're going to win the game." They didn't, naturally, at least in part because Burks tried to do too much. He turned the ball over. He forced some shots. What, he was going to let the receptionist shoot? But if you're a Memphis fan, don't fret at all. Or fret about Kevin Grothe, the associate athletic director who resigned Friday "effective immediately" because of "legal issues." Those two phrases suggest Grothe didn't leave because he won Powerball. It's unfair to speculate about the facts about the guy's sudden departure, but if he was involved in any financial malfeasance - Grothe was the athletic department's lead fund-raiser - it's hard to imagine a lousier time. So take solace in the basketball team, and in Wednesday's final home game, whoever might be healthy enough to go. "What if Antonio and Carney can't play?" Calipari said. Oh. Hmmmm. Congressman, you got next. Contact columnist Geoff Calkins at 529-2364 or send an e-mail. You can hear his radio show, "SportsTime with George Lapides and Geoff Calkins," from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday on WHBQ-AM (560). |
| 02/29/04 | |
Tigers Postgame (Louisville) (Commercial Appeal) |
| Play of the game After Sean Banks banked in a 3-pointer with 25.7 seconds left that forced Louisville to call a timeout leading only 63-60, Maurice Avery fouled Nate Daniels on the inbounds pass against the Memphis staff's wishes. Daniels walked to the other end and sank both free throws to push the Cardinal lead to 65-60 with 25.0 remaining, which led to Antonio Burks taking a quick shot at the other end that missed badly. With that, the Tigers' gutty effort virtually came to an end as Memphis never scored again. Stat of the game Thanks to Louisville's press and Burks's absence in the first half, the Tigers struggled in the turnover department. Memphis gave the ball away 15 times in the first 20 minutes - including a stretch of six turnovers on six straight possessions - and finished with 21 turnovers for the game. Banks and Burks each committed six turnovers, Rodney Carney added three in limited duty and Duane Erwin also had three. Trends Saturday marked the seventh time in the past eight meetings between Memphis and Louisville that the lower-ranked or unranked team has won. The only exception to that trend since Conference USA's formation for the 1995-96 season was Feb. 25, 1996, when the 19th-ranked Tigers beat the 21st-ranked Cardinals, 57-54. X's and O's The Tigers used a zone defense for several possessions, including the stretch in the first half when Burks was out. It was not by design, but by necessity because of a lack of depth thanks to foul trouble and injuries to Burks and Carney. "We had to go zone," said Memphis coach John Calipari. "We don't play zone." Odds and ends Memphis sophomore Jeremy Hunt, who is out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, will have surgery Wednesday to repair his damaged knee. A sophomore guard, Hunt should be on crutches for two to three weeks post surgery and then begin rehabilitation that should have him at 100 percent for the start of next season. The injury to Carney came late in the first half and cost him all of the second half. It was described as a sprained right ankle that was so severe Carney needed a wheelchair to get from the ticket check-in to the gate at the Louisville airport. Regardless, U of M officials predicted Carney will play Wednesday against TCU. Calipari will tape his weekly coach's show today at 1 p.m. at Jillian's. The public is welcome to attend, and the entire Tiger basketball team will be there. Banks's consecutive free throws made streak ended at 27 when the freshman missed a couple after making two earlier. The streak lasted five-plus games. Against Louisville, Banks was 7-of-13 from the line. What's next Memphis now returns home for a Wednesday game against TCU. The contest will be the last of this season - and possibly ever - at The Pyramid, meaning it's Senior Night for Burks and Modibo Diarra, both of whom will be honored prior to tip-off. - By Gary Parrish |
| 02/29/04 | |
Tiger Pitcher Dominating -- Hankins Strikes Out 17 Racers (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Todd Vinyard Contact February 29, 2004 Murray State coach Rob McDonald was an assistant at Memphis when Chad Harville struck out a Tigers school record 17 batters in 1997. McDonald saw another Tiger pitcher record 17 strikeouts Saturday. Memphis starter Derek Hankins tied Harville's school record with 17 strikeouts in a 7-1 Memphis victory over Murray State in the Service Academies Spring Classic at USA Stadium in Millington. "(Hankins) pitched as well as anybody I've seen in a long time," McDonald said. "He threw everything for strikes. He threw a really good hard breaking ball our guys couldn't lay off of. His pitching mowed us down tonight. That was the difference." Hankins, a junior college transfer making just his second Division 1 start, struck out seven straight Racers batters at one point. "The curve ball was working for me, but the change-up and fastball were right there, too," Hankins said. "I've never quite felt that in control of all my pitches before. I guess you could say I was kind of in a zone." In other action Saturday, Kentucky beat Indiana, 10-2, and Air Force defeated Navy, 7-0. Play ends today with Air Force vs. Murray State at 9 a.m., Navy vs. Indiana at noon, and Memphis vs. Kentucky at 3 p.m. The Kentucky and Memphis (3-1) winner will capture the classic title. Murray State (1-4) took a 1-0 first-inning lead when Derrick Newton's single brought in Clint Griggs. Hankins threw 24 pitches in the first inning and then 23 in the next two as he confused Murray State hitters. The right-hander allowed just two hits, and none after the first inning. "He has thrown the ball really, really well," Memphis coach Dave Anderson said. "He is a tough guy to hit because he can move the ball around. It's tough to get good swings against him." Tiger reliever Nick Bradshaw pitched the final two innings, retiring six straight batters. U of M designated hitter Ryan Martin's solo home run to left field tied things at 1-1 for the Tigers in the second inning. Two runs in the fourth helped the Tigers break out. Third baseman Bill Moss scored on a passed ball. Centerfielder Josh Payne's single drove in leftfielder Chad House. Memphis scored two runs on one hit in the seventh, as Payne scored on a wild pitch and Kurt Welch came in on passed ball. Welch then capped off the scoring with a two-RBI triple in the eighth inning. In other games: Kentucky 10, Indiana 2: Kentucky starter Seth Stanley (3-0) struck out 10 for the victory over Indiana. The Wildcats (6-2) have scored 21 runs in two victories at the classic. The Hoosiers (1-5) couldn't hold on to a 1-0 lead. Air Force 7, Navy 0: In the only meeting between service academies at the classic, Air Force scored five runs in the third inning and never looked back against Navy (1-8). Josh Wolfram, Nathan DeRohan, and Jason Brown had two hits each for the Falcons (3-5). Clayton Couch (2-0) was the winning pitcher. - Todd Vinyard: 529-2343 |
| 02/28/04 |  |
Derek Hankins Strikes Out Record-Tying 17 In Tigers' 7-1 Win Over Murray State (GoTigersGo.com) |
| Millington, Tenn.-- - Junior pitcher Derek Hankins struck out a Memphis record-tying 17 batters and allowed just two hits in seven innings of work to lead the Tigers to a 7-1 victory over Murray State in the Service Academies Spring Classic at USA Stadium in Millington. It was Hankins' first career Division I victory in just his second start for Memphis (3-1-0). "Derek (Hankins) was outstanding tonight," Head Coach Dave Anderson. "The key was getting his curve ball over early. He had command of all three of his pitches and he never gave them a chance to do anything at the plate." Hankins was shaky in the first inning as Murray State (1-4-0) managed to tally its lone run in the frame when leadoff hitter Clint Griggs drew a walk and came around to score after singles by Ryan Kirksey and Derrick Newton. Those would be the only two hits surrendered by the U of M staff as Hankins and reliever Nick Bradshaw shut down the Thoroughbreds' offense holding it hitless the rest of the way. Hankins struckout at least two batters an inning for the next six frames. The JUCO transfer fanned the side in the first, fifth and sixth innings. Designated hitter Ryan Martin got Memphis on the board in the top half of the second when he blasted an opposite-field home run to left. It was Martin's first home run of the season. The Tigers grabbed the lead for good with a two-run fourth inning. Bill Moss led off the inning with a single and scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball. Chad House then stole a pair of bases and scored on a RBI single by Josh Payne. Memphis put the game away with a pair of runs in the seventh on more Thoroughbred miscues and added two more in the eighth on a triple by catcher Kurt Welch. The Tigers offense pounded out 10 hits on a trio of Thoroughbred pitchers. Welch and Payne each had a pair of hits. Jake Ociesa (0-1) was saddled with the loss for Murray, allowing five hits and giving up three earned runs in four innings on the hill. West Harris also struggled allowing four earned runs on five hits in 3.2 innings of work. The Tigers will face Kentucky Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m., with the winner claiming the outright Classic Championship. |
| 02/28/04 |  |
Lady Tiger Soccer Posts Two Wins And A Draw At College Classic Cup (GoTigersGo.com) |
| Memphis, Tenn. - The University of Memphis women's soccer team had a successful run at the College Classic Cup Saturday at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex. The Lady Tigers picked up a pair of 1-0 victories over Alabama and the NSA Club team and earned a 2-2 draw with Auburn. "I am really pleased with how our team played in all three matches today," Head Coach Brooks Monaghan said. "It was a total team effort and I really like where we are as a team right now. I know it's only the spring, but we played three good teams and we played them all well." Sophomore Nicky McLeod scored a first-half goal and freshmen Isabel Briones and Amy Clunie posted a combined shutout in goal for the Lady Tigers in the 1-0 victory over Alabama. The Lady Tigers jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead on Auburn in the opening half of their second 60-minute match of the day, but surrendered a pair of goals after the break to finish squared at two. Juniors Yuiko Konno and Leanne McGee scored the goals for Memphis. McGee's came on a penalty kick. Konno scored the only goal of the match in the Lady Tigers' 1-0 win over the NSA Club team. Clunie posted the shutout in goal for Memphis. |
| 02/28/04 | |
Spence Downs Ranked Opponent In Men's Tennis -- Tigers Fall 4-1 At No. 45 Tulane (GoTigersGo.com) |
| University of Memphis sophomore James Spence downed his first collegiate ranked opponent at No. 2 singles in a 4-1 Tiger loss at No. 45 Tulane in the second round of the C-USA Inter Conference Tournament, Saturday.
Spence downed the No. 37 ranked player in the country, Dmitriy Koch, in straight sets, 7-5, 6-1. Koch is familar to Memphis tennis fans as he downed Memphis' Lee Taylor Walker in the semifinals of the ITA Southeast Regional that was hosted by the Tigers during the fall.
Memphis will face the loser of the UAB/USF match at 9 a.m., Sunday. No. 45 Tulane, No. 69 Memphis Double 1. Kogan/Goulet def. Spence/Walker (UM): 8-2 2. Koch/Vasiljevic def. Bucewicz/Tamla (UM): 8-1 3. Campbell/Withell def. Hernandez/Sottocorno (Tulane): 8-6 Singles: 1. #11 Michael Kogan def. #76 Lee Taylor Walker (UM): 6-2, 6-2 2. James Spence def. #37 Dmitriy Koch, 7-5, 6-1 3. Ted Angelinos vs. Alex Bucewicz (UM): Did not finish 4. Hannu Piiroinen vs. Marten Tamla (UM): Did not finish 5. David Goulet def. Sam Withell (UM): 6-3, 6-3 6. Alberto Sottocorno def. Mark Finnegan (UM): 6-4, 6-2 |
| 02/28/04 |  |
Hyman Sets New School Record, Tigers Place Fifth At C-USA Indoor Championships (GoTigersGo.com) |
| HOUSTON-The University of Memphis men's track team placed fifth at the 2004 C-USA Indoor Championships held this weekend at the Yeoman Fieldhouse on the University of Houston campus. The Lady Tigers placed 13th scoring nine points. Houston won the Men's championship with 181 points. The Cougars blew away the competition with TCU finishing a distant second scoring 99 points and Marquette placed third with 89 points. On the Women's side TCU won the championship scoring 125 points. They were followed by USF (97.50) and Houston (92). Lisa-Marie Hyman battled in the triple jump placing second, setting a new school record with a leap of 12.98m which provisionally qualifies Hymn for the NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. Teammate Cassandra Harding suffered and injury and did not compete in the triple jump finals. As expected, the Tigers had a big output in the shot put scoring 22 points with four Memphis Tigers placing. Gaute Myklebust, the 2003 C-USA Outdoor Shot put champion won the event with a mark of 17.29m. Stein Syverson placed third with a mark of 17.00m and 2003 C-USA Indoor Shot put Champion Adam Martin placed fifth with a toss of 16.22m. Norbert Guylas placed seventh with a throw of 15.03m. Austin Hunter and Michael Mentz came up big for the Tigers each placing third in the 400m and 800m respectively. Hunter's 48.49 was a personal best and third place time in the 400m, while Mentz's 1:55.20 was good enough for third place in the 800m. Ivan Williams placed seventh in the 200m with a time of 22.17. The Memphis Men's 4x400m Relay team placed third with a time of 3:18.88. Williams placed seventh in the 60m with a time of 6.85. Cody Rushing placed seventh in the heptathlon scoring 4,175 points. Istvan Kerekjarto placed 12th in the mile run. Teammate Szilard Toth, the favorite in the mile run was a late scratch. Mary Claire Dake placed 21st in the women's mile run with a time of 5:34.60. Mate Nemeth, hobbled by a sore achilles tendon placed fourth in the 3000m run with a time of 8:41.90. Nemeth won the 3000m in 2003. Teammate Szaboles Karadi placed fifth with a time of 8:45.49. |
| 02/28/04 | |
Women's Tennis Falls To East Tennessee State (GoTigersGo.com) |
| The East Tennessee State women's tennis team claimed a 5-2 victory from the University of Memphis in Troy, Ala. The Bucs improve to a 7-4 record for the spring season, while Memphis falls to 4-5 for the spring.
The Lady Tigers went down early, 1-0, after losing the No. 2 and 3 doubles matches. ETSU then picked up wins at No. 2 and 5 singles before senior Marlene Dirnstorfer claimed Memphis' first point with a 6-3, 6-0 win at No. 1 singles. But when Jessica Irey closed out her No. 4 match with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Yesica Ares, Memphis could add just one more point with Christina Wieser's come-from-behind victory to make the final score, 5-2, Memphis.
Memphis will compete in three road matches next weekend, facing Southern University in New Orleans at 11 a.m., Friday. The Lady Tigers will then face the University of New Orleans, Saturday, at 2 p.m. and UTEP, Sunday, at 11 a.m. ETSU 5, University of Memphis 2 Doubles: 1. Viktoria Gruber/Marlene Dirnstorfer (UM) def. Courtney McInnis/Jewel Aldea (ETSU) 8-3 2. Sylwia Ziolkowska/Mariya Ilyina (ETSU) def. Andrea Feichtinger/Kristin Noble (UM) 8-3 3. Gemma Halim/Jessica Irey (ETSU) def. Yesica Ares/Alex Tjioe (UM) 8-4 Order of finish: 2, 1, 3 Singles: 1. Marlene Dirstorfer (UM) def. Courtney McInnis (ETSU) 6-3, 6-0 2. Sylwia Ziolkowska (ETSU) def. Viktoria Gruber (UM) 6-3, 6-0 3. Gemma Halim (ETSU) def. Andrea Feichtinger (UM) 5-7, 6-2, 16-14 4. Jessica Irey (ETSU) def. Yesica Ares (UM) 6-2, 6-4 5. Mariya Iiyina (ETSU) def. Kristin Noble (UM) 6-3, 6-2 6. Christina Wieser (UM) def. Tatiana Arriaran (ETSU) 2-6, 6-2, 10-5 Order of finish: 2, 5, 1, 4*, 3, 6 *Clinching point |
| 02/28/04 | |
Memphis Falls To No. 21 Louisville, 66-60 (GoTigersGo.com) |
| By CHRIS DUNCAN AP Sports Writer LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Francisco Garcia scored 18 points Saturday and No. 21 Louisville snapped a four-game losing streak with a 66-60 victory over No. 19 Memphis. Otis George added 11 points and eight rebounds for the Cardinals (18-7, 8-6 Conference USA), who won for just the second time in eight games. Sean Banks scored 26 points and Antonio Burks added 22 for the Tigers (20-5, 11-3), who had an 11-game winning streak snapped. Memphis committed a season-high 21 turnovers and shot 56 percent from the free throw line (14-for-25), its worst in a league game this season. The Cardinals hit eight of their first nine shots and jumped to a 17-8 lead. But Louisville committed three consecutive turnovers and Memphis quickly closed the gap to 17-15. Duane Erwin converted a three-point play with 7:13 left in the first half to give the Tigers their first lead, 22-21. The Cardinals retook control with swarming defense, forcing seven straight turnovers in an 11-0 run. The Tigers finished the first half with 15 turnovers - more than they had in 16 games this season. Two free throws by Kendall Dartez and a 3-pointer by Garcia pushed Louisville's eight-point halftime lead into double figures. The Tigers missed their first nine shots after halftime, but the Cardinals also went cold, missing seven straight shots after Garcia's basket. Burks' pullup jumper with 12:05 left ended a 9-minute Memphis field goal drought. Banks made two free throws 33 seconds later to trim Louisville's lead to 45-35. The Cardinals led 58-48 when Banks hit a 3-pointer from the corner with 6:03 left. George hit a short jumper in the lane, but Burks sank a shot in the lane and a 3-pointer to trim the Tigers' deficit to 60-56. Louisville led 61-57 when Burks lost the ball to George on a drive. Garcia then found George open for a dunk with 33 seconds left. Garcia pumped his fist as the capacity crowd came alive. Banks silenced the fans by banking in a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 25 seconds to go. Nate Daniels hit two free throws with 25 seconds left and Jenkins rebounded a 3-point miss by Burks to seal the win. Jenkins added a free throw with 13 seconds left. Rodney Carney, Memphis' third-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder, did not play in the second half after twisting his right ankle in the first. |
| 02/28/04 | |
Tigers, Cards Swap Places -- Louisville Gets Winter Chill While U of M Gains Steam (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Gary Parrish Contact February 28, 2004 LOUISVILLE - Remember that team Rick Pitino brought to The Pyramid a few weeks ago? The one without its top two players? The one clinging to a top-10 ranking? The one that slowed the game to a Saint Louis-type halt because it had no real alternative? Well, forget that Louisville. Because the Cardinals that are playing the University of Memphis today at noon CST are - is this possible? - in worse shape with more parts thanks to a February free fall only Howard Dean could truly appreciate. "We are suffering from a low basketball IQ," Pitino acknowledged. "We have to work through it." The 19th-ranked Tigers (20-4, 11-2 in Conference USA) and 21st-ranked Cardinals (17-7, 7-6) are in Freedom Hall again this afternoon. And the headline this paper already used - Passing in the night: Rivals go different directions - to preview the season's first meeting is as appropriate now as it was then, just with a different meaning. Before, it was all about conference affiliation and how Louisville is leaving Memphis for the BCS-promised land that is the Big East. Now, it would literally be about going in different directions. Memphis - the winner of 11 straight - is alone atop C-USA and closing the season in spectacular fashion. Louisville - the losers of four straight - are tied for sixth in the league and closing the season in less-than-spectacular fashion. One school's going up. One school's going down. And it wouldn't be so stunning if not for the fact that a month ago discussions revolving around totally opposite futures regularly took place in both cities: Memphis fans following losses at Southern Miss and DePaul: Are we going back to the NIT? Louisville fans following wins over Kentucky and Cincinnati: Are we going to get a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament? Boy, doesn't all that talk seem silly now? "But we don't care about that stuff," assured Memphis forward Sean Banks, whose 17.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game have him in position to earn first team All-C-USA honors as a freshman, making him the first to do so since one-and-done Tiger phenom Dajuan Wagner in 2002. "Louisville is still ranked," Banks added. "They're still a good team." The biggest difference between this game and the Feb. 4 affair the Tigers won, 62-58, is that Louisville will have sophomore standouts Francisco Garcia and Taquan Dean available, though the latter is still limping along with a pulled groin. With that duo, as well as reserve center Nouha Diakite, watching the previous meeting from back home on ESPN2, the Cards abandoned their trademark press and caused Memphis problems by milking the shot clock and slowing things down. Even so, Pitino promised that Louisville won't operate in that manner again and will instead look very much like a team he would coach when it takes the court following Senior Day festivities. Which, by the way, is perfectly fine with John Calipari, whose Tigers have flourished in up-and-down affairs this season. "If they want to get us in a running game like Charlotte and Marquette did, I'm fine with that," the fourth-year Memphis coach said, eluding to a pair of fast-paced victories by a total of 40 points. "If they want to do that, well, then OK." - Gary Parrish: 529-2365 |
| 02/28/04 | |
Preview: Tigers vs. Louisville (Commercial Appeal) |
|
When, where: Today, noon CST at Freedom Hall, Louisville, Ky. Records: No. 19 Memphis 20-4 (11-2 Conference USA); No. 21 Louisville 17-7 (7-6). TV, radio: WPTY-TV (24), noon; WMC-AM (790), pregame 10:30 a.m. Series standing: Louisville leads, 48-33. Latest line: Louisville by 7 1/2. Notables: This will be the Tigers' first appearance on ABC this season. Brent Musburger (play-by-play) and Jay Bilas (analyst) will handle the broadcast. . . . Though it might be a little early to talk in these terms, today could go a long way in getting Memphis a Conference USA Championship. If the Tigers win and Charlotte beats Cincinnati later this afternoon, then all Memphis has to do is handle TCU at home Wednesday to clinch the league title. . . . As of Friday, Memphis had an RPI ranking of 17, which was tops in C-USA. Louisville's was 24. . . .This will be the 10th time Rick Pitino and John Calipari have coached against each other. Pitino holds a 5-4 edge, but Calipari has won three of the past four. . . . Since Conference USA formed for the 1995-96 season, at least one of these schools has been ranked in all seven meetings. And in six of those games, the lower-ranked or unranked team won. . . . Any Memphis and Louisville fans needing an early fix got it Thursday afternoon when ESPN Classic showed the January 1986 meeting between the two schools at the Mid-South Coliseum. Dana Kirk's final team entered that game undefeated and ranked sixth in the nation, and left 73-71 winners. . . . In the four games between Memphis and Louisville featuring Calipari and Pitino on the sidelines, the average margin of victory has been just six points. . . . Though Jeremy Hunt is out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, he will continue to travel with the team and made the trip to Louisville. The sophomore guard's knee surgery still has not been scheduled, though it should come in the next 10 days. . . . From here on, every regular-season game Memphis plays will feature Senior Day festivities. Today, Louisville's seniors will be honored. Wednesday, the U of M's seniors - Antonio Burks and Modibo Diarra - will be honored. Next Saturday, Cincinnati's seniors will be honored. The last time the Tigers were a part of Louisville's Senior Day, it was Denny Crum's last regular-season game in Freedom Hall. Memphis lost that one in Calipari's first year at the school, 65-56. . . . With his 17.0 average, U of M freshman Sean Banks is second in C-USA scoring behind only Marquette senior guard Travis Diener. Banks is also sixth in rebounding, grabbing 7.5 boards per game. TEAM COMPARISONS U of M U of L FG percentage .420 .418 Opp. Percentage .397 .372 FT percentage .612 .737 3-point percentage .350 .349 Opp. Percentage .372 .313 Rebounds 39.6 39.5 Opp. Rebounds 35.5 38.2 Points for 74.0 74.2 Points against 65.4 60.8 PROBABLE STARTERS Memphis P Yr. Ht. Pts. Antonio Burks G Sr. 6-0 16.5 Anthony Rice G Jr. 6-4 9.2 Rodney Carney F So. 6-7 12.5 Sean Banks F Fr. 6-8 17.0 Arthur Barclay F Jr. 6-8 1.9 Louisville P Yr. Ht. Pts. Taquan Dean G So. 6-3 11.3 Francisco Garcia G So. 6-7 15.3 Larry O'Bannon F Jr. 6-4 11.2 Otis George F Jr. 6-8 5.0 Kendall Dartez C Sr. 6-10 5.3 |
| 02/28/04 | |
Analyzing The Keys To The Game (Louisville) (Commercial Appeal) |
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Kick 'em while they're down: Though there is a wounded animal theory to be used, the facts are that Louisville has lost six of seven and looked bad doing it. Meanwhile, the Tigers have won 11 straight and looked good doing it. So the goal for Memphis today should be to treat the Cardinals like a team that's struggling and not let the national ranking and packed house create an illusion that all is well at the U of L. Exploit Dean: Taquan Dean is a gutty point guard, one of the best in the league. But now, he's injured and the only thing getting the sophomore through games is courage, which doesn't go far in terms of defending Antonio Burks. As long as Rick Pitino wants to stick with Dean in the lineup, Memphis should attack and make him work. Sooner or later, the Cards will have to turn to freshman Brandon Jenkins, which is advantage Tigers, as well. Protect Burks: We're just going to cement this one in because the number of minutes Burks plays will be the single-biggest deciding factor of every Tiger game the rest of this season. Three first-half fouls and a fourth early in the second half was fine against Southern Miss but won't be here. Burks has to get 34-plus minutes for Memphis to get out of Freedom Hall with a victory for the second time in two years - By Gary Parrish |
| 02/28/04 | |
Tigers' Associate AD Resigns Amid 'Legal Issues' (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Phil Stukenborg Contact February 28, 2004 University of Memphis associate athletic director Kevin Grothe, in his eighth season with the program, resigned Friday. A statement released by the school called Grothe's departure, which was effective immediately, the result of "legal issues" but did not elaborate. Tiger athletic director R.C. Johnson, who hired Grothe and previously worked with him at Miami of Ohio, declined comment. Johnson, reached at the U of M women's basketball game Friday night at the Elma Roane Field House, said he had been instructed "not to comment by our legal department." Grothe, 40, did not return phone calls. Associate athletic director Lynn Parkes, who has been with the athletic program for nearly 30 years, said she was stunned by the announcement. "I was quite surprised," she said. "I didn't see it coming." Before accepting the job at the U of M, Grothe worked as assistant athletic director for marketing and promotions at Miami of Ohio from 1989 to '93. A 1985 graduate of the University of Iowa, Grothe served as his alma mater's assistant director of sports marketing and promotions for four years before moving to Miami of Ohio. At Memphis, Grothe was responsible for overseeing the department's external operations, including fund-raising. Gift giving set records in six of the past seven years. Tiger Clubs, the athletic department's fund-raising arm, raised $4.5 million last year. Grothe came to Memphis after spending two years as assistant commissioner for corporate development at the Mid-America Conference in Toledo, Ohio. Among his responsibilities was coordinating and developing sponsorship packages for the MAC television and radio. |
| 02/28/04 | |
Tigers Down Midshipmen In Classic Opener -- Memphis Starter Grube Keeps Last Year's Momentum Going (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Todd Vinyard Contact February 28, 2004 Memphis Tiger pitcher Jarrett Grube's college baseball learning curve has been short. Since a 1-5 start last year, the right-handed junior college transfer has gone 6-0 over the last two seasons, including Friday's 5-2 victory over Navy. "As the season went along last year he learned a lot about pitching and himself," said Tiger catcher Kurt Welch. "It is showing. Jarrett pitched awesome for us." Grube allowed just one unearned run while striking out seven in seven innings. The Tigers' 10 hits provided plenty of offense for the victory over Navy (1-7) on the first day of the 16th Service Academies Classic at USA Stadium in Millington. The U of M (2-1) meets Murray State today at 4 p.m. In the first two games of the three-day tournament, Murray State beat Indiana, 2-1, and Kentucky routed Air Force, 11-1. Grube (2-0) allowed just four hits while retiring six of the last seven batters he faced. "I feel more confident this year, especially with the defense we have," Grube said. "If you let teams put the ball in play we can get outs. It is a team effort out there." The team effort on offense was led by four Tigers having more than one hit. U of M's Josh Payne led the team with two RBI. "This was a good win for us, and we were a couple of hits from breaking it open," Tiger coach Dave Anderson said. "Hopefully as it warms up we'll get more hits. With our pitching this year, we should be in a lot of these low scoring games." Memphis made the most of a second life to take a 2-0 lead in the first inning. With two outs, Navy third baseman Chris Ashinhurst's throwing error kept the inning alive. Designated hitter Ryan Martin drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in Bill Moss before a single by Payne scored Welch. Grube set down the first eight Midshipmen he faced, before Matthew Gonabe reached on an infield single in the third. Gonabe later scored on a passed ball. True freshman Adam Amar's first RBI of his Tiger career in the sixth came on a single that drove in Payne for a 3-1 lead. Amar scored on a sacrifice fly from Chad House. Welch scored the final Tiger run in the seventh on a Payne sacrifice fly. The Midshipmen made it a three-run game with an RBI groundout from Rick Amos to score Gonabe. But Corey Kines pitched two scoreless innings of relief to protect the Memphis victory. Rob Molinaro (0-2) was the hard-luck loser for Navy, giving up two runs in five innings. |
| 02/28/04 | |
Seniors Spark Lady Tigers -- Swilley, Soso Make Roane Finale A Winner (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Phil Stukenborg Contact February 28, 2004 Well, yes, it probably could have been scripted better. Princess Swilley and Jordie Soso, the University of Memphis Lady Tiger basketball seniors playing their final home game, could have finished with double-doubles. Swilley could have hit the game-winning basket, Soso could have blocked a potential game-winning shot. Instead, what they did wasn't too bad. Swilley and Soso brought intensity from the opening tip of Friday night's regular-season finale against Saint Louis, finished as the team's top two scorers and walked off the court arm-in-arm to a loud ovation in the closing seconds of a 69-60 Conference USA victory before about 2,000 at the Elma Roane Field House. Swilley scored 17 points and Soso added 15 as the Lady Tigers (19-8 overall, 9-5 in C-USA) remained in the hunt for a NCAA Tournament berth that has eluded them for the past five seasons. The U of M will try to clinch that invitation next week when they participate in the C-USA Tournament in Fort Worth, Texas. ''I wrote both of them a note (Friday) before our shootaround,'' Lady Tiger coach Joye Lee-McNelis said. ''In it I told them to relax and enjoy the game, to live in the present and savor each moment. I told them if they did that they'd have a chance to have a great game.'' If the Lady Tigers get the same kind of performances from Swilley and Soso next week that they got Friday night, the U of M could play itself into the NCAA Tournament. It was Swilley and Soso who kept Saint Louis (8-19, 2-12) from regaining the lead it held early in the first half. With the Lady Tigers leading by only two points (45-43) with 12:18 to go in the second half, Swilley and Soso powered a 14-4 run that put Memphis up, 59-47, with 8:47 left. Swilley scored eight during the stretch and Soso added four, including two on a nice, lefthanded move inside. And in the final minutes - when Saint Louis made yet another run to cut the Memphis lead to six points (59-53) - Swilley and Soso were there to prevent any chance of a Billikens' upset. After Lady Tiger guard Devin Necaise missed a jumper, Soso drove powerfully to the basket and snuck in a layup. A minute later, Soso threaded a pass to a cutting Swilley, who dropped in one-of-two free throws to extend the Memphis lead to seven points (62-55) with 4:17 to go. Four minutes later, with the Lady Tigers ahead, 68-57, Lee-McNelis substituted for Swilley and Soso, who eventually made it to the Lady Tiger bench, where they were met with an appreciative hug from Lee-McNelis. ''I knew Jordie was going to have a good game,'' said Lady Tiger center Latrice Booker. ''She kicked my tail in practice this week.'' Soso came in and ''made a difference with her intensity level'' according to Lee-McNelis. Swilley hit several key baskets. ''We wanted to come out and make it special on our last night (at home),'' Swilley said. ''Our teammates had a lot to do with it. Coach McNelis kept saying to do it for the seniors and they did. They helped us.'' Soso, who came off the bench to get her points, said she couldn't wait to get in. When she did, she made the most of her minutes. She scored nine points in nine minutes in the first half and had two blocks and a steal. ''I think we both just came out relaxed,'' Soso said. ''Some times people can worry so much they might play nervous on a night like this.'' In addition to Swilley and Soso, Victoria Crawford was in double figures with 10 points. Angie Lewis led Saint Louis with 17 points. - Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 |
| 02/27/04 | |
Tigers In Sixth Place After Day One Of C-USA Indoor Championships (GoTigersGo.com) |
| HOUSTON-The University of Memphis completed competition in day one at the C-USA Indoor Track & Field Championships being held at the Yeomen Fieldhouse on the University of Houston campus. The Tigers are in sixth place after day one with 14 points. Southern Miss scored 30 points to lead after day one, with Marquette scoring 22 points followed by DePaul whom scored 21 points. The Lady Tigers failed to score a point on day one and are in 13th place. USF scored a whopping 48.50 first day points and lead Tulane (26) and ECU (19) on the women's side. Both TCU and Houston are expected to make pushes toward the title on both the men's and women's side as day two will consist of the finals in the sprint competitions where each school excels. Senior Adam Martin placed third in the weight throw with a toss of 16.86m. Teammate freshman Norbert Guylas added one point for the Tigers placing eighth in the weight throw with a toss of 13.70m. Junior Janon Busby placed fourth in the high jump by clearing 2.02m. It was a season personal best mark for Busby. Szaboles Karadi placed seventh in the 5000m run with a time of 15:25.82. Mate Nemeth, who has been hampered by sore achilles tendon did not compete in the 5000m, and event he placed second in last year at the C-USA Championships. Nemeth will compete in tomorrow's 3000m run. Tigers Michael Mentz (800m, 1:56.58), Ivan Williams (200m, 21.75/60m, 6.75) and Austin Hunter (400m, 48.41) all advanced to tomorrow's finals in their respective events with top-eight performances in the prelims. The Lady Tigers failed to have an athlete qualify for the finals in the sprints and middle distance events. Becca McMahon (800m, 2:24.13), Michel Wilson (800m, 2:24.11) and Daniele Riendeau (800m, 2:24.94) all competed but did not qualify in the 800m. Josetta Brooks ran a 8.15 in the 60m prelims. She did not advance. Sue-Ann Bowen (1:02.21) and Zsofia Nagy (1:05.58) both competed in the 400m preliminaries, but neither earned a time to reach tomorrow's finals. Nagy also ran a 27.75 in the 200m. All three Memphis hurdlers had a disappointing meet. Daniel Kiss, ranked second in the 60m hurdles in the conference entering the meet, ran an 8.49, well below his season best and failed to advance to the finals. Preston Taylor tied Kiss with an 8.49. Sheena Ohlig recorded a 9.44, finishing 12th in the women's prelims in the 60m hurdles. Abraham Shaposhnik competed in the 800m placing 11th with a time of 1:58.11. He did not advance. Michael Woods ran a 6.95 in the 60m placing 13th. Day two should be an eventful one as the C-USA Championships are more wide open than ever. Hoping for big points in the shot put and distance events, the Memphis men look to climb in the standings, while the Lady Tigers await Lisa-Marie Hyman's attempt at a fourth crown in the triple jump. Check back at gotigersgo.com for complete results and a full meet recap Saturday night. |
| 02/27/04 | |
Lady Tigers Still Have Shot At No. 5 Seed With Win Over Saint Louis (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, TENN. - Seniors Princess Swilley and Jordie Soso scored 17 and 15 points respectively to lead the Lady Tigers to a 69-60 victory over Saint Louis on Senior Night and the Elma Roane Fieldhouse in front of more than 2,200 fans. Memphis improves to 19-8 overall and 9-5 in league play as they look ahead to the C-USA Tournament in Fort Worth on March 4-7. Saint Louis ended their season at 8-19; 2-12 in Conference USA. Memphis will not know which seed it will be in the tournament until Sunday after DePaul and Marquette close out their seasons in Milwaukee. Memphis could be as high as a No. 5 seed. Houston retained the No. 1 seed with a 76-71 come-from-behind victory over TCU in Houston Friday night. DePaul, TCU and Louisville have secured first-round byes in the tournament. It was the Memphis defense that proved to be the deciding factor as the Lady Tigers forced the Billikens into 27 turnovers in the contest and converted those Saint Louis miscues into 25 points. The Lady Tigers forced five turnovers in a 14-4 run midway through the second half to take a 59-47 lead with 8:45 left to play. SLU led for a good portion of the first half, but was never able to get closer than two points in the second half. Victoria Crawford also scored in double digits after pouring in 10 of Memphis' 34 bench points off a 4-of-12 effort from the field. SLU held Memphis to 37.9 percent shooting from the field, but the Lady Tigers managed a 16-of-25 clip from the free-throw line. SLU shot 40.7 percent from the field, and was 10-of-13 from the line. The Billikens outrebounded Memphis, 46-33. Raven Rogers and Crawford both led the Lady Tigers in rebounding with seven boards apiece. Sophomore Tamika Butler and Rogers both totaled four assists, while freshman Megan Gooch forced a career-high four steals. Forward Angie Lewis led the way for Saint Louis with a team-high 17 points. Jana Haywood chipped in 12 points and added nine boards in a losing effort. Saint Louis is now eliminated from the C-USA Tournament as only 12 of the 14 teams compete for the tournament title. |
| 02/27/04 | |
Women's Tennis Falls At Troy State, 6-1 (GoTigersGo.com) |
| TROY, Ala. - The University of Memphis women's tennis team fell to 4-4 on the season with a 6-1 loss at Troy State, Friday.
Troy State swept all three doubles matches to go up 1-0 early, then won singles matches one thru five to decide the match. Lady Tiger freshman Alex Tjioe picked up Memphis' only point with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Luz-Angela Garcia.
The Lady Tigers will stay in Troy to face East Tennessee State, Saturday at noon.
Troy State 6, Memphis 1 Doubles No. 1 - Luisa Lopez/Carolilna Aravena def. Viktoria Gruber/Marlene Dirnstorfer (UM), 8-6 No. 2 - Christina Mancheno/Tsitsi Masviba def. Andrea Feichtinger/Yesica Ares (UM), 8-2 No. 3 - Laura Alarcon/Suzanne Jones def. Christina Wieser/Alex Tjioe (UM), 8-2 Singles No. 1 - Luisa Lopez def. Marlene Dirnstorfer (UM), 6-2, 7-5 No. 2 - Carolina Aravena def. Viktoria Gruber (UM), 6-2, 6-3 No. 3 - Tsitsi Masviba def. Andrea Feichtinger (UM), 6-2, 6-2 No. 4 - Suzanne Jones def. Yesica Ares (UM), 6-2, 6-1 No. 5 - Christina Mancheno def. Christina Wieser (UM), 6-4, 6-4 No. 6 - Alex Tjioe (UM) def. Luz-Angela Garcia, 6-3, 6-4 |
| 02/27/04 | |
Tiger Baseball Takes 5-2 Decision From Navy In Opening Round Of Service Academies Spring Classic (GoTigersGo.com) |
| Millington, Tenn. - The University of Memphis baseball team defeated Navy 5-2 Friday in first round action of the 16th-annual Service Academies Spring Classic at USA Stadium to improve to 2-1 on the season. Senior Jarrett Grube allowed just an unearned run and struckout seven in seven innings of work to win his sixth-straight start dating back to last season and improve to 2-0 this season. Navy fell to 1-7 with the loss. "Overall, it was a good win for us," Head Coach Dave Anderson said. "We were a couple of hits away from really breaking it open, but these are the types of games we are going to play all season." Centerfielder Josh Payne broke out of a 0-for-7 slump to open the season to lead four Tigers who each had a double to go with two hits. Payne added a pair of RBI's as Memphis pounded out 10 hits off of four Navy pitchers. The Tigers grabbed a 2-0 lead scoring a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the first inning after a throwing error by Navy third baseman Chris Ashinhurst prolonged the frame. Designated hitter Ryan Martin drew a bases loaded walk to score Bill Moss and an infield single by Payne scored Kurt Welch, who lined a single to leftfield to reach base. Grube retired the first eight Midshipmen batters before allowing an infield single to Matthew Gonabe. Navy pulled within a run after Gonabe moved to third on an error and scored an unearned run on a passed ball. The Midshipmen threatened in their half of the fifth advancing a man to third with one out, but Grube was able to pitch out of the jam. Memphis extended its lead to 4-1 with two runs in the sixth. Freshman Adam Amar picked up his first-career hit and RBI with a single to rightfield scoring Payne, who hit a one-out double. Amar then scored on a sacrifice fly by Chad House. Grube allowed a double in the seventh, but was able to strike out the other three Navy batters in his final inning of work to finish with seven for the game. Grube allowed just four hits in the contest. The Tigers added another run in the seventh when Welch scored on a sacrifice fly by Payne. The Mids got that run back in their half of the eight on a RBI-groundout by designated hitter Rick Amos. Rob Molinaro allowed just two unearned runs and three hits in five innings, but took the loss falling to 0-2 on the season. Amar, Welch, who scored two runs, and rightfielder Jordan Hart were the other three Tigers with a pair of hits. Senior Cory Kines pitched two scoreless innings of relief for Memphis. Memphis returns to action at the classic Saturday against Murray State in a game scheduled to start at 4 p.m. |
| 02/27/04 | |
Men's Tennis Advances To Second Round At C-USA Inter Conference Tournament (GoTigersGo.com) |
| NEW ORLEANS, La. - The University of Memphis men's tennis team (5-2, 1-0) downed Southern Miss in the opening match of the Inter Conference Tournament at Tulane University, 5-2, Friday. With the win, the No. 69 ranked Tigers advance to the second round to face No. 45 Tulane, at noon, Saturday.
Memphis swept the doubles point, claiming the No. 1 and 2 singles slots with 8-2 wins, and with an 8-5 victory at No. 3 doubles. Memphis then won two of the six singles matches, with junior Marten Tamla's 7-6, 6-3 win at no. 4 clinching the match in the Tigers' favor.
Senior Lee Taylor Walker became the second upset victim for Southern Miss' David Canudas. Canudas, who downed the then-No. 40 player in the country in a non-conference match against Auburn, downed Walker, 6-4, 6-3 at No. 1 singles, snapping a five-match win streak for Walker. Match #1 #3 Memphis 5, #6 Southern Miss 2 Doubles 1. Spence/Walker (UM) def. Bourgeois/Funke (USM): 8-2 2. Bucewicz/Tamla (UM) def. Canudas/Rea (USM): 8-2 3. Campbell/Jago (UM) def. Lux/Mezey (USM): 8-5 Singles 1. David Canudas (USM) def. #76 Lee Taylor Walker (UM): 6-4, 6-3 2. James Spence (UM) def. Juan Garzon (USM): 6-2, 6-0 3. Alex Bucewicz (UM) def. Marc-Oliver Lux (USM): 7-6, 3-0, ret. 4. Marten Tamla (UM) def. Christopher Rea (USM): 7-6, 6-3* 5. Reid Bourgeois (USM) def. Sam Withell (UM): 7-6, 6-2 6. Mark Finnegan (UM) def. Dylan Mezey (USM): 6-2, 3-6, 10-8 * - clinched victory |
| 02/27/04 |  |
Snow Stops First Round Of Pinehurst Women's Golf Challenge (GoTigersGo.com) |
| Pinehurst, NC - The first round of the 2004 Pinehurst Women's Golf Challenge, being hosted by the College of Charleston this weekend at Pinehurst #8, has been postponed until Saturday due to snow in the area. A start time for Saturday will be determined Friday afternoon based on course conditions. |
| 02/27/04 | |
Lady Tigers Swilley, Soso Helped Reverse Skid -- Senior Sendoff (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Phil Stukenborg Contact February 27, 2004 One will have a hard time holding back a tear, the other a difficult time suppressing a cheer. When the University of Memphis women's basketball team honors its two seniors - guard Princess Swilley and center Jordie Soso - after tonight's Conference USA game against Saint Louis at the Elma Roane Field House, Swilley may need Soso's shoulder to cry on. Swilley said it's hard for her to comprehend not being part of a program that she joined four years ago out of Hazlehurst (Miss.) High. Those thoughts, she said, will make tonight's ceremonies difficult. "This is not something I've been looking forward to," she said. "I know when I step off that court it might be the last time, and I'm just not ready to leave. "This has been such a part of my life. Now what am I going to do with all that time I've spent these past four years practicing and lifting weights? I'm going to miss it. I've never been one who's said 'I'm ready to give it up.' " Soso, a native of Melbourne, Australia, joined the program two years ago out of Okaloosa Walton (Fla.) Community College. The steps she takes walking to midcourt won't be as difficult as Swilley's. "It seems like I was just in high school the other day," Soso said. "It's gone by fast, but at the same time, I feel it's time for me to grow up. I'm kind of excited about going out and getting a chance to be a little more independent. "You are given a false sense of security (playing on a team). Everything is planned for you. I don't really know what it's like to be on my own and have to pay my own bills." Swilley and Soso have been contributors to a Lady Tiger team that has reversed a two-year losing skid and may top 20 wins for the first time since the 1998-99 season. Swilley is averaging 7.5 points and ranks second on the team with 74 assists. Soso is averaging 6.8 points and 4.4 rebounds. Swilley said it's been rewarding to finish her career with a winning record and another opportunity at the postseason, her first since her freshman season. It almost has made memories of last season - one in which she battled shoulder problems - bearable. "I had times during my four years that were pretty rough, from not having winning seasons to the injuries," she said. "I guess the one thing I wish I could (erase) was my injury. "It was frustrating. The one thing I didn't want to do was fail. I knew I was much better than my injury was allowing me to show. But looking back, I think going through that made me stronger." Swilley averaged 10.2 points her junior season, spending most of the year wearing a shoulder brace. Although she could have sat out the season as a redshirt, she opted to play through the pain and discomfort. "My decision not to redshirt was because of my teammates," Swilley said. "I didn't want to leave them in a bad situation." Lady Tiger coach Joye Lee-McNelis understood what Swilley was going through a year ago. "Princess has a real passion for the team concept," Lee-McNelis said. "I think last year was a trying time. She was thinking she was letting down her teammates. She carries a lot of burden. She always wants to please her coaches and be there for her teammates." Lee-McNelis calls Swilley "a giving person" and one of the "hardest-working players" on the team. A strong finish by the Lady Tigers, including a few wins in next week's C-USA Tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, would push the U of M closer to a NCAA Tournament bid. "And I think if anyone deserves to go out with a bang, it's Princess," Lee-McNelis said. Soso has started nine games this season, but her playing time diminished after she suffered a torn medial collateral ligament in a mid-January practice. "I knew it wasn't really bad when it first happened," Soso said of the injury. "I was just nervous because I was in the rotation and I was getting a fair amount of minutes. Going through an injury like that popped me out of the rotation." Lee-McNelis said Soso "has given us some good, solid minutes" during her two years. "She came in as a junior college player and filled a gap we needed," Lee-McNelis said. "I needed someone that had a defensive feel, someone who could step in and make some defensive stops." Soso said she's looking forward to starting a career in coaching, using the knowledge she has acquired through the years. "That's what I want to do," she said. "I want to stay around basketball." - Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 |
| 02/27/04 | |
NCAA Selects Parkes (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Phil Stukenborg Contact February 27, 2004 University of Memphis associate athletic director Lynn Parkes will have her own definition of March madness next spring. Parkes has been named chairman of the NCAA Women's Basketball Committee for the 2004-05 season. Parkes, 52, will assume the post June 29 from Cheryl Marra, senior associate athletic director at the University of Wisconsin. Parkes, completing her fourth year as a member of the committee, will serve a one-year term as chairman. "It's an honor," she said. "It's a lot of responsibility, but it's also a huge honor." Parkes is in her 28th year at the U of M, including the last 20 as the athletic program's senior women's administrator. She spent 11 years as the Lady Tigers' golf coach before becoming an associate athletic director. A native of Lawrenceburg, Tenn., Parkes is a 1973 graduate of the University of Alabama, where she played on the women's golf team. She also has served as the chair of the NCAA Women's Golf Committee and was tournament director of the 1995 NCAA East Regional, which was hosted by Memphis. Former U of M associate athletic director Lee Fowler, the athletic director at North Carolina State, served as chair of the Men's Basketball Committee two years ago. Fowler is a native of Columbia, Tenn. "He used to work out of this same office," Parkes said. "It's interesting that we have both been chairs of the basketball committee, worked at the same school, and grew up 25 miles from one another (in middle Tennessee)." |
| 02/27/04 | |
Five Questions With Lynn Parkes, Associate Athletic Director (Commercial Appeal) |
| Q: Lynn, you're a member of the NCAA women's basketball selection committee. How hectic does it get at this time of year? A: It's busy. You're trying to track teams that are on the bubble, and you start to think about seeding. You begin to narrow your focus. Q: How extensive is your schedule during the next month? A: I'll leave next week for Dallas (Conference USA women's tournament at TCU), I'll come back home and be here a day to a day and a half and then go to Indianapolis. Then I'll be back in Memphis for two or two and a half days each week through the Final Four. I think I return on the seventh of April. Q: In the latest women's RPI ranking, three C-USA teams - Houston (No. 9), TCU (15) and DePaul (26) - are ranked in the top 30. Memphis is No. 42. Louisville and Marquette are fighting for NCAA Tournament spots, too. How does it look for C-USA teams getting in the tournament? A: It's great to have that many teams in the top (30), even though DePaul has taken a little slide in the last few weeks. But we have a few others still in the running. Some of it will come down to this weekend and what they do in the conference tournament. This is the time of the year that people can play their way in or out of the (NCAA) tournament. Q: The perception is that since you are a member of the NCAA selection committee and University of Memphis athletic representative that the Lady Tigers will get extra consideration if they land on the bubble. What is the reality? A: I really think people believe a committee member has more influence than they actually do. A committee member is just one of 10. We have been fortunate to come out with good brackets through the years, and that's because we have worked so well as a committee. Q: Is serving on the selection committee more fun than exhausting, or more exhausting than fun? A: It's a long, long month. It's fun, but you do watch a lot of basketball for a whole month. - Phil Stukenborg |
| 02/27/04 | |
Tiger Athletes Of The Week (Szilard Toth-Distance Runner, Victoria Crawford-Basketball) (Commercial Appeal) |
| MALE Szilard Toth, Junior distance runner Toth, native of Pecs, Hungary, earned Conference USA Athlete of the Week honors for his performance at the SEMO Invitational last Friday. The Tiger newcomer took first place in the 800-meter run with a time of 1 minute, 57.91 seconds, and then won the 3,000 meters in 8:57.60. FEMALE Victoria Crawford, Junior basketball player The Lady Tiger forward from Birmingham needed just 19 minutes last Friday at Saint Louis to score a game-high 21 points and grab six rebounds in Memphis's 69-65 win. |
| 02/27/04 | |
On The Tigers -- Track, Tennis, Football (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Phil Stukenborg Contact February 27, 2004 Injuries are slowing indoor track team The University of Memphis men's track team, considered a threat to TCU and Houston for the Conference USA Indoor Track and Field title before the season began, will enter this weekend's league championships in Houston running at less than full speed. Tiger men's coach Glenn Hays said his team will compete without sprinter Willie Green, who pulled a hamstring muscle in a meet at Southern Illinois last month and is sidelined until the outdoor season. Hays said Green accounted for six points at the 2003 C-USA Indoor championships. Also, thrower Gaute Myklebust and distance runner Mate Nemeth, who earned spots in the NCAA Track and Field (outdoor) Championships a year ago, are limited by injury. "Myklebust has been bothered by balance problems," Hays said. "He is throwing (the shot put) eight feet less than he did outdoors. He would have been someone who would have had 36 to 40 points. Now I'm not so sure." Hays said Nemeth, a native of Hungary, is slowed by a sore Achilles tendon. "They are our best three athletes, without a doubt," Hays said. "We still have potential to score reasonably well. Gaute and Mate could pull it out and win." Nemeth may be limited, but junior distance runner Szilard Toth, also from Hungary, could provide depth. Earlier this week he was named the C-USA Male Indoor Track and Field athlete of the week. And yet another Hungarian, Daniel Kiss, is ranked third in the conference in the 60-meter high hurdles. The women will be led by senior Lisa-Marie Hyman, who has won the last three C-USA triple jump titles. The competition begins at 8 a.m. today with the combined events, followed by the field events at 1 p.m. and the running events at 5. Saturday's schedule begins with the combined events at 9 a.m, followed by running events at 11 a.m. Spring football near Football coach Tommy West said spring workouts begin March 9 for the New Orleans Bowl champion Tigers. The spring workouts will continue through April 3, concluding with the annual Blue-Gray spring scrimmage. The scrimmage likely will be held at the practice fields at the Murphy Athletic Complex. Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, which is undergoing extensive general maintenance that includes removing the seats and sealing the concrete, will not be available. John Flowers, the U of M's director of football operations, said stadium officials told him no events could be held at the facility while the work was being done. Moving up, moving on Marlene Dirnstorfer, a senior on the women's tennis team, has benefited from a move to No. 1 singles. Dirnstorfer played No. 5 singles a year ago, but Lady Tiger coach Charlotte Peterson said Dirnstorfer has played injury-free this spring, winning five or her first seven matches. "Her being 5-2 right now just shows how strong a player she is to move from five up to one in the lineup," Peterson said. Dirnstorfer has been a member of the Lady Tiger tennis team since transferring in August 2002 from the University of Vienna in her native Austria. Odds and ends Lady Tiger track coach Brenda Calhoun-Cash, a member of the Arizona State Hall of Fame, will be inducted into her high school Hall of Fame in New Haven, Conn., next month. Cash attended Hamden High, where she set several state records, before going to Arizona State, where she was a four-time all-American sprinter. . . . The men's soccer team's exhibition match against the Dallas Burn of Major League Soccer has been rescheduled for March 13 at the University of Texas at Dallas soccer complex. The game originally was set for Feb. 14, but was postponed due to a snowstorm. |
| 02/27/04 | |
No Longer A Novelty Act, Tigers Depend On Avery (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Gary Parrish Contact February 27, 2004 Eighteen hours. From the moment he wakes up until the moment he returns to sleep, that's the amount of time Maurice Avery typically spends running around these days. Football winter workouts. Classes. Study halls. Basketball practices. Showers. Meals. The to-do list has spiraled out of control, making the two-sport student-athlete an insomniac by nature, someone to whom Kiefer Sutherland's character from "24" could easily relate. "It's hard,'' said Avery, a sophomore at the University of Memphis. "But I'll get through it." For Maurice Avery, this whole college experience has been a strange trip of unforeseen occurrences. He came here to be a quarterback for a perennially losing football program. Instead, he's a wide receiver for the New Orleans Bowl champions and backup point guard for a basketball team ranked 19th in the nation heading into Saturday afternoon's showdown at No. 21 Louisville. Forget the unexpected twists those reality shows keep throwing at people. Avery's tops them all. "He's a winner," said Tiger freshman Sean Banks, who has helped Memphis to a 20-4 record, including an 11-2 mark in Conference USA. "I've known Mo since he joined the basketball team, and I know he doesn't quit. "He's not a quitter. He's a winner." Though Avery has long been a regular in pickup games around campus, he never planned on playing basketball in college. Sure, he'd thought about it, especially considering he lettered in hoops - as well as track - at McNair High in Atlanta. But playing at a level where pure athleticism is no longer enough to get anybody by didn't seem realistic. Until . . . Reserve point guard Clyde Wade was suspended. Reserve forward Almamy Thiero suffered blood clots. Reserve point guard/wing Billy Richmond withdrew from school. Once all that happened, John Calipari simply needed bodies to put in uniforms, which is about the time he offered a spot to Avery. He started coming to practice and working hard despite understanding the odds of actually playing were slim. But when wing/reserve point guard Jeremy Hunt went down for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament last week, the immensely important football player became a somewhat important basketball player who will be required to spell Antonio Burks when fatigue or foul trouble calls for such. Take Tuesday's 74-56 win over Southern Miss, for instance. Burks was saddled with fouls throughout, prompting Avery to play four minutes. He got three points and two rebounds. "If he can just get the ball up the floor and get us into the offense, then Anthony Rice can play his regular position (of shooting guard) and then (Avery) can play 10 or 15 minutes a game,'' Burks said. "That's what we're going to need from here on out." Though 10 or 15 minutes a game might be excessive, there's no doubt Avery is now a commodity at the Finch Center, which is why Tommy West won't interrupt things when football spring practice begins March 9. That week, the Tiger basketball team will be in Cincinnati for the C-USA Tournament. And it was just decided by West and Calipari that Avery will be in Cincy, too, running a half-court offense instead of a post pattern and itching for minutes wherever they might come. "I talked to John about it, and I will excuse Mo from spring practice as long as he's with them,'' West said. "Now if he was just going to be a guy over there helping them get through practice, then I'd expect him to be with us. But heck, they need him now. So I'm fine with it." - Gary Parrish: 529-2365 |
| 02/27/04 | |
Spirit Bonds Service Teams -- 6 Squads To Compete In Spring Baseball Classic (Commercial Appeal) |
| By Todd Vinyard Contact February 27, 2004 After nine years as a successful head coach, Mike Hutcheon was ready for the baseball part of the Air Force Academy when he took the job there before this season. Then came the E-mails letting him know about the special other side of Air Force. "Looking at several E-mails from around the world, and some very dangerous places, it was amazing the support Air Force alumni display," Hutcheon said. "I post those E-mails for our kids all the time. It's amazing the attitude and the strength of these kids. It's a pleasure to coach them." Air Force and Navy are two of the six teams in the 16th annual Service Academies Spring Classic at USA Stadium in Millington this weekend. Navy (1-6) faces Memphis (1-1) at 4 p.m. today. The Midshipmen, the classic's defending champions, have a different perspective on baseball, given events in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. Navy assistant coach Lt. Chris Murphy said sports are important, but players recognize they aren't the only thing. "Especially the seniors realize things have become very, very serious," Murphy said. "We have players who will be receiving commissions soon and go right into fighting for their country." That type of commitment draws respect from other coaches and players participating in the three-day event. "The guys from the academies play with such pride and intensity, it's great to be a part of this event," said Murray State coach Rob McDonald, who as an assistant at Memphis from 1993-2000 participated in the classic. Murphy said Navy is eager to face Air Force Saturday. "It's hard to describe how intense it is between the academies unless you wear this uniform," Murphy said while pointing to his Navy officer attire. Tiger coach Dave Anderson has strong memories of the Army-Navy Service Academies Classic baseball game he saw during his first year at Memphis in 2001. "That was as competitive a baseball game as you would ever want to see," Anderson said. "Now to realize some of those guys that played are in very hostile situations, it gives you tremendous respect for these academies and these guys. It's an honor to play against them." - Todd Vinyard: 529-2343 |
| 02/27/04 | |
Service Academies Classic (Commercial Appeal) |
| (At USA Stadium) TODAY Indiana vs. Murray State, 10 a.m. Kentucky vs. Air Force, 1 p.m. Memphis vs. Navy, 4 p.m. SATURDAY Indiana vs. Kentucky, 10 a.m. Navy vs. Air Force, 1 p.m. Murray State vs. Memphis, 4 p.m. SUNDAY Air Force vs. Murray State, 9 a.m. Navy vs. Indiana, noon Memphis vs. Kentucky, 3 p.m. |
| 02/26/04 | |
Lady Tigers Blank Touring Japanese All-Star Team 1-0 (GoTigersGo.com) |
| Memphis, Tenn. - The University of Memphis women's soccer team blanked the Japan Women College All Stars' team 1-0 in its spring opener Thursday at Echles Field. Junior Annika Moller scored the matches' only goal in the 20th minute when headed in a cross from freshman Madison Cheek. "I was really pleased with how our team came out in played in their first game action since the fall," Head Coach Brooks Monaghan said. "We had some chances that we should have finished, but overall I am extremely pleased with how the girls performed." The Lady Tigers outshot the visitors 15-4 and forced their goalkeeper Mami Isogai to make a game-high five saves. Freshman Isabel Briones posted a shutout for the Lady Tigers in her first action after redshirting during the fall season. Briones made two saves as the All-Stars had four shots on goal. Memphis will host the College Classic Cup Saturday at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex. The Lady Tigers will play Alabama at 9 a.m., Auburn at 12:30 and an NSA Club Team at 6 p.m. All three matches will be sixty minutes in length. |
| 02/26/04 | |
Tiger Baseball Preps For 16th Annual Service Academies Classic (GoTigersGo.com) |
| Memphis, Tenn. - The University of Memphis baseball team returns to action this weekend when it will participate in the 16th Annual Service Academies Spring Classic at USA Stadium in Millington, Tenn. The Tigers (1-1) will make their 13th-consecutive appearance in the classic. Memphis will face Navy in its first game Friday at 4 p.m., followed by Murray State at 4 p.m., Saturday, before finishing the tournament against Kentucky at 3 p.m. , Sunday.
"This is always a good tournament for our team to play in," Head Coach Dave Anderson said. "It gives our guys a chance to play several quality teams and this year is no different. We played well last weekend in Houston, but we still have some areas to improve in and we'll get that opportunity at the classic."
Memphis enters the tournament on the heels of a 7-0 loss to national power, Arizona State in the Coca-Cola Classic in Houston last weekend. The Tigers earned a split of their two games in Houston, defeating Cal State Northridge 6-2 in the season-opener.
Jarrett Grube and Kurt Welch got their senior campaigns off to solid starts last weekend as Grube struck out five and held CSUN to just one earned run in 6.0 innings on the hill, while Welch blasted a three-run homer to left in his first at-bat of the season.
Navy, the Tigers' first opponent, comes into the weekend with a 1-6 record and three straight losses. Memphis is 6-2 all-time against the Midshipmen, but Navy beat the Tigers 11-7 in their last meeting en route to the classic championship in 2002.
Murray State is winless after being swept by UAB in its season-opening series in Birmingham. The Tigers own a 51-29 record against the Thoroughbreds all time and have won six of the last seven meetings.
Kentucky, who owns the field's best record, is 4-2 and has split its last four contests. The Wildcats showcase a potent offensive attack, averaging 9.2 runs and 12.3 hits per contest. They are 4-0 all-time at the classic and beat the Tigers 8-2 in the only meeting between the schools at the 1995 classic.
Also in the six-team field at the classic are Indiana University and the Air Force Academy. CLASSIC SCHEDULE Fri., Feb. 27 Indiana vs. Murray State 10 a.m. Kentucky vs. Air Force 1 p.m. Memphis vs. Navy 4 p.m. Sat., Feb. 28 Indiana vs. Kentucky 10 a.m. Navy vs. Air Force 1 p.m. Memphis vs. Murray State 4 p.m. Sun, Feb. 29 Air Force vs. Murray State 9 a.m. Navy vs. Indiana 12 p.m. Memphis vs. Kentucky 3 p.m. |
| 02/26/04 | |
Track & Field To Compete In C-USA Indoor Championships (GoTigersGo.com) |
| HOUSTON-The University of Memphis Men's and Women's Track Teams are in Houston for this weekends C-USA Indoor Championship Meet. For the second consecutive year and fifth time since 1997, the University of Houston plays host to the annual Conference USA Indoor Track and Field Championship set for this weekend, Feb. 27-28, at the Yeoman Field House inside the Athletics/Alumni Center.
The Tigers placed third in the C-USA Indoor Championships in 2003. Perennial powers Houston and TCU are the favorites on the Men's side with Memphis and ECU hoping to challenge for the top spot. The Tigers have depth in the distance and throwing events that should provide the Tigers with a good showing. On the Women's side, TCU and USF are the top contenders with Houston hoping to defend its title from a year ago. The young Lady Tigers of Memphis hope to improve on last year's tenth place showing.
The two-day meet, featuring all 13 C-USA schools, begins at 8:00am. on Friday, Feb. 27, with the pentathlon and other combined events until 1:00pm when the 20-pound weight throw starts the field events. Running events begin at 5:00pm with the finals of the 5000-meter runs for both women and men.
Competition concludes on Saturday, Feb. 28, beginning with the heptathlon at 9:00am Field events get underway at 11:00am with the shot put, while the mile run for both women and men start the running events at 1:00pm. An awards presentation, in which the Male and Female Athletes and Coach of the Year Awards will be announced, is scheduled for 5:00pm on Saturday following the conclusion of the meet.
Houston claimed both the men's and women's C-USA Indoor titles in 2003, while head coach Leroy Burrell was named C-USA Coach of the Year for both men and women. Houston freshmen Clayton Cretors and Ebonie Floyd each were named C-USA Male and Female Freshman of the Year, respectively. Memphis Notes: Hungarian Pipeline Plentiful for Memphis Track The Tigers and Lady Tigers currently have nine Hungarians, five hailing from the City of Budapest, on their respective rosters including some of Memphis's best athletes. Distance runners Mate Nemeth (Szekszard, Hungary) and Szilard Toth (Pecs, Hungary) are top runners in C-USA. Nemeth is a three time conference champion and Toth enters this weekend's C-USA Indoor Championships as the league's top-ranked mile runner. Gary Nemeth (Sopron, Hungary), although absent this spring as he prepares for the Olympics, was the Tigers top sprinter in 2003. Nora Nemere (Budapest, Hungary) is the Lady Tigers top long distance runner and Zsofia Nagy (Budapest, Hungary) is an active sprinter for the Lady Tigers. Daniel Kiss (Budapest, Hungary), a newcomer on the squad is a top contender in the 60m hurdles and Istvan Kerekjarto (Biatorbagy, Hungary) is a top middle distance runner for the Tigers. As a freshman he qualified for the NCAA Regionals in the 1500m and 800m. Norbert Guylas (Budapest, Hungary) is a freshman thrower on the team with a bright future and Szaboles Karadi (Budapest, Hungary) is a distance runner on the squad. Tiger Throwers a Force Memphis has a collection of top throwers that arguably rivals that of any in the country. Led by 2003 C-USA Male Outdoor Athlete of the Year, senior Gaute Myklebust; Memphis has the potential to score many points in the shot put and weight throw competitions. Myklebust advanced to the NCAA Outdoor Championships after winning the 2003 C-USA Outdoor Championship in the shot put. Last Year's 2003 C-USA Indoor shot put champion was senior Adam Martin. Martin enters this year's competition as the highest ranked thrower among Memphis competitors with a season best mark of 16.19m which he threw at the ASU Kickoff Klassic (12/7). Martin alos competes in the weight throw and is a contender in that event. Senior transfer Stein Syverson has the ability to challenge both Myklebust and Martin in the shot put. Syverson is a former Norwegian Youth Champion in that event. Freshmen Darius Frye and Norbert Guylas are also talented throwers and present a bright future for the Tigers after the three seniors graduate. Like 2003, Distance Runners are Tigers strength in 2004 Led by NCAA Championships Qualifier Mate Nemeth, Memphis has a solid group of distance runners in 2004 that could amass numerous points at the C-USA Indoor Championships. Nemeth is the defending 3000m indoor champion and 5000m indoor runner-up. He holds the school record in the 5000m run at 14:52.78. Newcomer Szilard Toth is favored in the mile run. His time of 4:11.59 is best in C-USA. Teammate Istvan Kerekjarto ranks second in the mile run with a time of 4:11.77. If the Tigers are hoping for a 1-2 finish in the mile run. Michael Mentz could push for a top-six finish in the 800m run. Abraham Shaposhnik and Szaboles Karadi would have to run their best times to score points, but are both capable distance runners that provide a bonus for the Tigers. Hyman eyeing fourth Triple Jump Crown Lisa-Marie Hyman has won the last three C-USA Triple Jump Championships. Winning the 2002 Outdoor, 2003 Indoor and 2003 Outdoor Titles, Hyman is trying to become the first Lady Tiger to win four conference championships in one event. Already the first Lady Tiger to win three conference championships in one event, Hyman looks to add to her legacy. She will be challenged this weekend though. Charlotte's Sharonda Johnson enters the championships with the best mark this year at 12.88m. Hyman's personal best is 12.67m which she jumped at the Commodore Classic in Nashville, Tenn. during the outdoor season. Hyman's best mark in 2004 is 12.50m (SREMO Triangular-2/21). Teammate and rising freshman star Cassandra Harding is also poised to challenge Hyman. Her best this season of 12.24m (McDonalds Invitational-1/23) ranks her third in C-USA entering the championship meet. Lady Tigers are young kittens in 2004 On the Women's team, 22 of the 29 athletes are underclassmen with 15 freshmen and seven sophomores on the squad. Lisa-Marie Hyman and Ali Baker are the lone seniors on the team. Baker a former soccer player at U of M will be competing in her first championship meet. Freshmen and Sophomores that will compete at the C-USA Indoor Championships are: Lindsay Cade (High Jump), Cassandra Harding (Triple Jump, Pentathlon), Kara Cassel (3000m), Josetta Brooks (60m hurdles), Daniels Riendeau (800m), Michel Wilson (800m), Sue-Ann Bowen (400m), Zsofia Nagy (200m), and Mary Claire Dake (Mile Run). Memphis's Top Sprinters Not Available for 2004 Season Junior sprinter Gary Nemeth has left the team this spring to train for the 2004 Olympic Games where he will compete for his native Hungary as a member of the 4x100m Relay team in Athens this summer. Nemeth's father is the coach of that team and they began training for the Olympics in December 2003. Nemeth qualified for the NCAA Regionals in the 200m and was the anchor of the Tigers 4x100m Relay Team. Sophomore Willie Green, who red-shirted last outdoor season continues to be bothered by a nagging hamstring injury and will not compete in the C-USA Indoor Championships this weekend. Green placed third in the 60m in 2003 as a freshman. He hopes to return for the outdoor season. The Lady Tigers top returning sprinter is not academically eligible for 2004. Junior Chanel Dunn, who qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Regionals in the 100m, will not be available for competition this spring. She continues to train with the team and anticipates regaining eligibility for the 2005 season. Hurdlers quietly elevating to top of C-USA Both the men and women have hurdlers on the brink of scoring points at this weekends meet. Daniel Kiss (8.02) ranks second in C-USA in the event and Preston Taylor (8.33), son of former Tiger All-American Track./Football athlete Ed Taylor, ranks ninth in C-USA. Sheena Ohlig holds the school record in 60m hurdles at 9.09. She along with Josetta Brooks look for good performances in a highly competitive event in C-USA. Former Soccer Star, now Lady Tigers top Distance Runner Ali Baker, a former soccer standout at the U of M joined the Memphis track team as a senior in 2003. She has asserted herself as the top distance runner on the Lady Tigers squad. Her time of 2:20.82 ranks in the top-10 of C-USA. Memphis Men's Best Performance List Men 60m Dash 1 6.70 F Willie Green 1/23/2004 McDonald's Invitational 2 6.84 F Ivan Williams 2/13/2004 Tyson Invitational 3 6.93 F Mike Woods 12/7/2003 ASU Kickoff Klassic Men 200m Dash 1 21.88 F Ivan Williams 2/13/2004 Tyson Invitational 2 22.56 F Mike Woods 12/7/2003 ASU Kickoff Klassic 3 22.86 F Willie Green 1/23/2004 McDonald's Invitational Men 400m Dash 1 48.63 F Austin Hunter 2/13/2004 Tyson Invitational 2 50.52 F Larry Harris 1/23/2004 McDonald's Invitational 3 52.48 F Mate Nemeth 12/7/2003 ASU Kickoff Klassic Men 800m Dash 1 1:56.05 F Michael Mentz 2/13/2004 Tyson Invitational 2 1:57.79 F A. Shaposhnik 2/13/2004 Tyson Invitational Men 3000m Run 1 8:42.97 F Adam Didyk 12/7/2003 ASU Kickoff Klassic 2 8:49.32 F Szaboles Karadi 12/7/2003 ASU Kickoff Klassic Men 1 Mile Run 1 4:11.59 F Szilard Toth 2/13/2004 Tyson Invitational 2 4:11.77 F I. Kerekjarto 2/13/2004 Tyson Invitational Men 60m Hurdles 1 8.02 F Daniel Kiss 2/13/2004 Tyson Invitational 2 8.33 F Preston Taylor 12/7/2003 ASU Kickoff Klassic Men Pole Vault 1 4.11m F Cody Rushing 12/7/2003 ASU Kickoff Klassic Men Triple Jump 1 14.46m F Janon Busby 2/21/04 SEMO Triangular Men High Jump 1 1.82m F Janon Busby 2/21/04 SEMO Triangular Men Shot Put 1 16.19m 53-01.50 F Adam Martin 12/7/2003 ASU Kickoff Klassic 2 16.16m 53-00.25 F Gaute Myklebust 12/7/2003 ASU Kickoff Klassic 3 16.08m 52-09.25 F Stein Syverson 1/23/2004 McDonald's Invitational 4 14.10m 46-03.25 F Norbert Gulyas 1/23/2004 McDonald's Invitational 5 12.84m 42-01.50 F Darius Frye 12/7/2003 ASU Kickoff Klassic Men Weight Throw 1 16.05m 52-08.00 F Adam Martin 12/7/2003 ASU Kickoff Klassic Women's Best Performance List Women 60m Dash 1 7.71 F Chanel Dunn 12/7/2003 ASU Kickoff Klassic 2 7.85 F Josetta Brooks 12/7/2003 ASU Kickoff Klassic 3 7.92 F Sue-Ann Bowen 12/7/2003 ASU Kickoff Klassic 4 8.41 F Zsofia Nagy 12/7/2003 ASU Kickoff Klassic Women 200m Dash 1 25.40 F Chanel Dunn 12/7/2003 ASU Kickoff Klassic 2 26.38 F Sue Ann Bowen 1/23/2004 McDonald's Invitational 3 26.48 F Franicia Barnett 12/7/2003 ASU Kickoff Klassic 4 26.69 F Camillia Lucas 12/7/2003 ASU Kickoff Klassic 5* 27.65 F Sheena Ohlig 1/23/2004 McDonald's Invitational 5* 27.65 F Zsofia Nagy 1/23/2004 McDonald's Invitational 7 27.68 F Josetta Brooks 1/23/2004 McDonald's Invitational 8* 28.07 F LaShunda Flake 1/23/2004 McDonald's Invitational 8* 28.07 F Tabitha Russell 12/7/2003 ASU Kickoff Klassic Women 400m Dash 1 58.74 F Sue Ann Bowen 2/13/2004 Tyson Invitational 2 1:02.64 F LaShunda Flake 12/7/2003 ASU Kickoff Klassic 3 1:02.96 F Tabitha Russell 1/23/2004 McDonald's Invitational 4 1:10.05 F Camillia Lucas 12/7/2003 ASU Kickoff Klassic Women 800m Dash 1 2:20.28 F Ali Baker 1/23/2004 McDonald's Invitational 2 2:24.22 F Michel Wilson 12/7/2003 ASU Kickoff Klassic 3 2:28.31 F Becca McMahon 1/23/2004 McDonald's Invitational 4 3:20.54 F Camillia Lucas 1/23/2004 McDonald's Invitational Women 3000m Run 1 10:58.08 F Mary Claire Dake 1/23/2004 McDonald's Invitational 2 10:58.86 F Kara Cassel 1/23/2004 McDonald's Invitational 3 11:11.18 F Nora Nemere 1/23/2004 McDonald's Invitational 4 12:04.16 F Kimberly McVeigh 1/23/2004 McDonald's Invitational Women 1 Mile Run 1 5:31.71 F Mary Claire Dake 12/7/2003 ASU Kickoff Klassic 2 5:40.70 F Kara Cassel 12/7/2003 ASU Kickoff Klassic 3 5:51.66 F Heather Woolls 1/23/2004 McDonald's Invitational 4 6:31.11 F Karin Brooks 1/23/2004 McDonald's Invitational Women 60m Hurdles 1 8.95 F Sheena Ohlig 12/7/2003 ASU Kickoff Klassic 2 9.10 F Josetta Brooks 1/23/2004 McDonald's Invitational 3 9.45 F Cassandra Harding 2/13/2004 Tyson Invitational Women High Jump 1 1.63m 5-04.25 F Lindsay Cade 1/23/2004 McDonald's Invitational 2 1.58m 5-02.25 F Cassandra Harding 1/23/2004 McDonald's Invitational Women Triple Jump 2 12.50m 41-03.25 F Lisa Marie Hyman 1/23/2004 SEMO Triangular 1 12.24m 40-02.00 F Cassandra Harding 1/23/2004 McDonald's Invitational |
| 02/26/04 | |
Men's Soccer Reschedules Match With Dallas Burn Of The MLS (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- - The University of Memphis men's soccer team will get another shot at playing the programs first-ever matchup with a professional team as the Feb. 14th match with the Dallas Burn, that was cancelled due to a snowstorm, has been rescheduled. Memphis will now travel to Dallas to square off with the Burn on Sat., March 13. The contest is tentatively set for a 10:00 a.m. kickoff at the University of Texas at Dallas Soccer Complex. Admission for the game is free. "We are pleased to get the game back on our schedule," said head coach Richie Grant. "The Dallas Burn is accommodating us and our players appreciate the opportunity. This keeps us focused in our spring training." |
| 02/26/04 | |
Lady Tigers Still Vying For 5th-Place Seeding In C-USA (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, TENN. - The Lady Tigers will welcome Saint Louis to the Elma Roane Fieldhouse on Friday, Feb. 27. All fans who wear blue will be admitted to the game free of charge, and Princess Swilley and Jordie Soso will be honored following the game for Senior Day. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. in what is the last game of the regular season. Memphis enters the meeting with an 18-8 overall record; 8-5 in Conference USA, after snapping their two-game losing streak with a win over Saint Louis on the road last Friday night. The Lady Tigers have recorded their first winning season in three years, and the 18 wins at this point, is the highest total of victories since the 1999-2000 squad finished at 18-12. That season, Memphis defeated Arkansas State and lost to Florida in the WNIT. The Lady Tigers, which are in the midst of a five-year NCAA Tournament drought, are considered a "Bubble Team" for the prestigious tournament with an RPI of 38 (according to the WBCA/Summerville RPI report). The fact that Memphis is considered a "Bubble Team" is impressive in itself, considering that the Lady Tigers were predicted to finish ninth in Conference USA. With a win over Saint Louis Friday night, Memphis could be in prime position for a fifth-place seeding in the league's championship tournament. Junior Victoria Crawford leads Memphis in scoring with an average of 16.1 points per game. Junior Jennifer Sullivan also averages double digits in scoring with 11.8 points per game. One of the most consistent shooters in the league, Sullivan has hit 62 percent of her shots in league play which ranks her second in just C-USA games. Another junior, Raven Rogers, leads Memphis in rebounding with an average of 8.3 boards per game. Rogers, who has grabbed 10 or more rebounds in five of the last seven games, hauled in a career-high 15 rebounds against SLU. Saint Louis has struggled this season, and is still playing to earn a spot in the Conference USA tournament next week. At 8-18 overall and 2-11 in C-USA games, the Billikens are tied for 12th in the league, and only the top 12 teams will compete for the tournament title. SLU will be fighting Tulane and USM for the final spot in the tournament. SLU lost its first five league games before notching an 86-74 win over UAB in St. Louis. The Billikens then lost to USM and Tulane on the road before defeating East Carolina at home in overtime. They are now looking to snap a four-game losing streak. Angie Lewis leads SLU in scoring and rebounding with 18.0 points and 7.0 rebounds a game. She also totals 13 blocked shots and 29 steals. Kirsti Holloway averages 10.4 points per game and is SLU's biggest outside shooting threat, hitting 47 treys this season. The U of M owns a 19-3 series advantage over Saint Louis, dating back to the 1976-77 season. Memphis won 13 straight contests before SLU picked up their first victory in 1998-99 at the Fieldhouse. Memphis then won another five straight, but SLU then captured the next two games, including a 71-60 win in Memphis and a 64-56 victory in Saint Louis. Memphis snapped SLU's streak last week when the Lady Tigers defeated the Billikens, 69-65, on the road. The Lady Tigers are 8-2 in games played in Memphis, and 9-1 in games played in St. Louis. The Lady Tigers will compete in the C-USA Tournament the following week in Ft. Worth, Texas. TCU will host the tournament which runs March 4-7. The bracket will be announced Sunday evening, Feb. 29. Memphis still has a shot at a No. 5 seed in the tournament, which would pit them against the No. 12 seeded squad. |
| 02/26/04 | |
Men's Tennis Gets First Look At C-USA Foes (GoTigersGo.com) |
| MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The No. 69 University of Memphis men's tennis team (4-2 overall) will get its first look at fellow Conference USA competitors in the Inter Conference Tournament, beginning Friday. Memphis is playing in the tournament hosted by No. 45 Tulane, beginning with a Friday match against Southern Miss, beginning at 10 a.m.
The Tigers and the Golden Eagles will start the tournament off, to be followed by UAB vs. Saint Louis at 2 p.m. Host Tulane will play the winner of the Tigers/Golden Eagles match at noon, Saturday.
The Inter Conference tournament is hosted at two sites. No 35 USF, No. 45 Tulane, No. 69 Memphis, UAB, Southern Miss and Saint Louis make up the Tulane tournament, while No. 6 TCU will host No. 56 Louisville, Charlotte, DePaul, East Carolina and Marquette. The tournaments were set by each team's finish in last year's conference tournament.
Southern Miss is off to a 1-2 record so far this spring, with both losses coming to top 30 opponents. USM was shutout by then-No. 17 LSU in their season opener, then fell in a tough 4-3 match at then-No. 28 Auburn. The Golden Eagles put their first win in the books for 2004 against Samford, 4-3.
USM brings a young roster into Friday's match, but do not expect the Tigers' to rest on their laurels against a roster of just one junior, two sophomores and four freshmen. Junior David Canudas has already taken out one ranked opponent at No. 1 singles, downing then-No. 40 Gabor Zoltan Pelva of Auburn in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4. Canudas is 2-1 at No. 1 singles, with the lone loss being a 6-3, 6-4 loss to then No. 33 Ken Skupski from LSU.
With such a young line-up, the Golden Eagles have really toyed with the remainder of the line-up outside of Canudas at No. 1. Freshman Juan Garzon, sophomore Marc-Oliver Lux and freshman Thomas Funke have all played one match at No. 2 singles, with Lux falling 6-3, 7-5 against Auburn and Garzon picking up the only win at No. 2 for now with a 6-0, 6-4 win against Samford.
Lux and Garzon have also alternated in the No. 3 slot with Garzon playing two matches at No. 3, but with Lux playing at 3 in the most recent match. Freshman Chris Rea is a solid 2-1 at No. 4 singles for USM Head Coach Teddy Viator. Rea's only loss was a 6-3, 6-4 loss to Bryan Fisher of LSU, and Rea downed Auburn's Robert Lathouwers, 1-6, 6-2, 6-4.
Sophomore Reid Bourgeois brings an 0-3 mark at No. 5 singles into the weekend, and will be looking to get his season back on track against the Tigers. Dylan Mezey, a freshman from Canada, rounds out the USM singles line-up with a 2-1 mark at No. 6 singles, including a 6-1, 6-3 win at No. 6 against Auburn.
In doubles, the team of Funke and Bourgeois are 0-3, but have faced stiff competition already, falling 8-3 to the No. 33 ranked team in the nation against LSU in the season-opener. Canudas and Rea are 1-2 at No. 2 doubles, while Melzey and Lux are 0-3 at No. 3 doubles. Look for USM to focus strongly on getting off to a strong doubles start to get momentum for some battles in the singles draw.
The Tigers' are led by senior Lee Taylor Walker (Jackson, Tenn./University School of Jackson), who dropped down to No. 76 in the country in singles in the most recent rankings. Walker has rebounded from his only singles loss of the year (to now No. 37 Simon Rea of Tennessee), to win his last five matches at No. 1, including a straight set win at Middle Tennessee last Friday. A win over Canudas from Southern Miss should help Walker's singles rankings, since Canudas' win over Pelva of Auburn only dropped Pelva to No. 60 in the country.
If the Tigers can get by Southern Miss, they would draw a tough second round match against host Tulane. Tulane has two players ranked in the top 50 in the country, including No. 11 Michael Kogan and No. 41 Dmitriy Koch, who advanced to the finals of the ITA Southeast Regional hosted by the Tigers during the fall after eliminating Walker in the semifinals. Kogan is a senior who started college tennis after three years in the Israeli army, so he brings considerable experience and maturity into big matches, while Koch is rebounding from early spring injuries. C-USA Inter Conference Tournament Schedule (at Tulane University) Friday Match 1 - No. 3 Memphis vs. No. 6 Southern Miss, 10 a.m. Match 2 - No. 4 UAB vs. No. 5 Saint Louis, 2 p.m. Saturday Match 3 - No. 1 Tulane vs. winner Memphis/Southern Miss, noon Match 4 - No. 2 USF vs. winner UAB/Saint Louis, 3 p.m. Match 5 - Loser Memphis/Southern Miss vs. Loser UAB/Saint Louis, 9 a.m. Sunday Match 6 -Match 3 winner vs. Match 4 winner, noon Match 7 - Match 3 loser vs. Match 4 loser, 9 a.m. |
| 02/26/04 | |
Barclay Getting Back In The Game (Daily Helmsman) |
| By Ben Cowens February 27, 2004 Arthur Barclay bent over and clutched his basketball shorts with both hands as if he knew he would collapse without the support. Then he slowly uncoiled and wandered into position to await a Southern Miss free throw with his shoulders slumped and his eyes glaring toward the game clock high above the court. It showed three minutes remaining. Seconds later, the shot caromed off the rim in Barclay's direction. He blocked out his man, reached high and corralled his eighth rebound of the game. After, Barclay dressed slowly and collected his things as fatigue stifled his typically vibrant voice. "I'm really tired," he said. Without the services of Jeremy Hunt, it likely won't be the last time those words come out of his mouth. In the two games since Hunt tore his ACL, Barclay's playing time has dramatically increased. The Camden, N.J., native is averaging 25.5 minutes a game, compared to 3.2 minutes in the Tigers' other 22 games. That instant jump in playing time has taken its toll, but Barclay insists he's ready for the challenge. His fatigue is understandable. Barclay has struggled with his surgically-repaired knee all season and has just recently begun to return to playing shape. He's lost 30 pounds and is beginning to get his legs back. Head coach John Calipari said Barclay's play in his two recent starts has been exceptional. He has averaged three points and eight rebounds and has taken quite a few charges. Furthermore, his presence inside has anchored the defense that hasn't given up 40 percent shooting to an opponent in five games. "He's really doing more than we need him to do," said guard Maurice Avery. "He's doing extra, and it helps the team a lot." But Barclay is not content with his numbers. He's said at least four rebounds have been ripped away by his less vertically-challenged teammates. "Rice stole three of my rebounds," Barclay said jokingly while pointing at the culprit. "Rodney (Carney) stole one, too." On top of stolen rebounds, Barclay has to put up with good-natured ribbing every day in practice. Rice is among the many teammates who have had fun at the expense of Barclay's jumping ability. "We make fun of him all the time (about his vertical jump)," Rice said. "We always say he's got one leg, but he takes it pretty well. It's getting better, too." Avery agrees that Barclay is getting off the ground a bit more. "The last two days in practice on the drills he's been dunking," said guard Maurice Avery. "Every time he dunks everyone goes 'Ooooooh.'" Dunking in practice is one thing, but Barclay understands his natural abilities are still not where they used to be. So he does what he can to be productive without them. "I have to hustle. All the injuries I've had slow me down," Barclay said. "On defense, I've got to outsmart them. When I rebound I have to beat them to the spot." Hustle and toughness is all the Tigers need from him anyway. "We need him to be hard nosed," Antonio Burks said. "We need him to keep rebounding and taking charges. It'll make teams think before they drive and keep them off balance." While the perimeter guys will continue to get most of the points, Barclay is content to clog up the middle and make it hard for the other team to score. "He's given us a presence down low, and that's what we need," Rice said. His numbers reflect that, and as he continues to get stronger, Barclay said he will be even more productive. "I'm getting it back," Barclay said. "A couple of months ago, I wasn't getting off the ground." As his knee gets stronger and he plays more minutes, Barclay might even steal one of Rice's rebounds. |
| 02/26/04 | |
Lady Tigers Need Strong Finish To Avoid Bubble Burst (Daily Helmsman) |
| By Ben Cowens February 26, 2004 While an all expenses paid trip to Texas over spring break may sound like a nice, relaxing idea for University of Memphis students, for the women's basketball team it will be all business. To guarantee their first NCAA tournament berth since 1998, the Lady Tigers will have to play their way in at the conference tournament in Fort Worth, beginning March 4. As it now stands, the Lady Tigers are 18-8 and sit squarely on the bubble. In fact, Memphis could be the poster child team for precarious positioning. Following back-to-back losses last week at Marquette and DePaul, an ESPN tournament projection placed the Lady Tigers as the first team left out of the Big Dance. Collegerpi.com, which has a weekly bracket projection, placed Memphis as the fourth team left out. In other words, the Lady Tigers still have work to do, and they need at least one "good" win to prove they belong. A "good" win is a victory against any team with an RPI from 1-50. A "bad" loss is falling to an opponent with an RPI below 100. According to collegerpi.com, the Lady Tigers have neither. In fact, Memphis has been as predictable as Old Faithful. Or Halley's Comet. Or an Elvis sighting in Florida. The Tigers are 18-2 in games against teams with lower RPIs. They are 0-6 when playing teams with higher ones. While that sort of consistency might make Alan Greenspan happy, it is bad news for the Tigers. The NCAA tournament committee is more interested in "good wins" than "bad losses," which means zero top 50 wins will hurt. When Conference USA pairings are announced, it is crucial that the Tigers beat a high-quality team in the conference tournament to bolster their resume. Positions are not set, but the most likely scenario has Memphis as the No. 5 seed, which would mean a possible second round match up with Louisville or Houston. Louisville's |