Memphis Tigers News Archives

January 2005

Back

01/31/05		Transformed Tigers win -- Team effort leads U of M past TCU (Commercial Appeal)
		By Zack McMillin contact January 31, 2005 FORT WORTH, Texas -- What a difference two weeks -- and, apparently, one player -- makes. With a 72-57 victory on Saturday night against TCU, the University of Memphis basketball team proved that it is, indeed, a team transformed. Against the same Horned Frog bunch that had left Memphis Jan. 15 with a 61-59 victory -- a game in which TCU led by 12 late -- the Tigers looked both resilient and cohesive in winning for the third time in the last four games. They are now 12-9 for the season and 5-2 in Conference USA. And 3-1 since Sean Banks left the team after being ruled academically ineligible. ''It was a good game for us, to get on the road and hold a team to 28-percent shooting,'' said UofM coach John Calipari. And, he would add: ''Our goals haven't changed. We are right where we want to be.'' With a disciplined, swarming defense and an offensive balance that had five players scoring nine or more points, the Tigers led by seven at the half and by 16 with 12:23 to go. By hitting 17-of-20 free throws after the half, the Tigers held off TCU's one strong rally and quieted a Daniel-Meyer Coliseum crowd of 5,789. Freshman point guard Darius Washington hit 10-of-10 free throws to lead the Tigers with 17 points. He also had five assists, five rebounds and a pair of steals. Reserve Jeremy Hunt added 13 points, and forwards Rodney Carney (12) and Duane Erwin (11) were also in double figures. ''Maybe fans look at it like, 'Oh, Sean is gone so now they are winning,' but it's not just that,'' Washington said. ''Everybody is giving their all and contributing to the win. That's what it is.'' On the one hand, nobody wants to single out Banks for blame. ''I don't want to put that on him; he's not here right now,'' Calipari said. ''Normally, you start with blaming it on the dead guy. Then you blame it on the guy that's not there. And then figure out who else is in line to blame it on. ''I don't like doing that. We're getting better and probably would've done the same if he were here.'' And yet, it doesn't take a locker-room interpreter to understand the coded language the Tigers use when discussing why they are all of sudden playing with the kind of purpose and meaning that eluded them in November and December. ''We don't have that weak link defensively now,'' Calipari said, obviously referring to Banks. Here's Carney, talking about the offensive difference without Banks: ''When we swing the ball, it doesn't stop with one player trying to make a one-on-one play. We're a better team.'' -- Zack McMillin: 529-2564

01/31/05		Bearcats stun Lady Tigers -- Cincinnati 58, U OF M 56 (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg contact January 31, 2005 As her coaching career unfolds, first-year University of Memphis women's basketball coach Blair Savage will endure her share of difficult losses. There'll be last-second shots that trip her Lady Tigers. There'll be lopsided losses to nationally ranked foes on the road. And, occasionally, there'll be what happened Sunday at the Elma Roane Field House. Before 1,138 mostly stunned U of M followers, the Lady Tigers dropped a 58-56 Conference USA decision to lowly Cincinnati, a program that entered Sunday's game having lost nine straight, including its six C-USA games and its six road games. The Bearcats (6-14, 1-6 in C-USA) snapped each of those streaks against the Lady Tigers (10-11, 3-5) by convincingly outrebounding the U of M (40-28), hitting their free throws down the stretch and getting a career-high 24 points and nine rebounds from post player Anne Stephens. It was an offensive rebound and stick back by Stephens with 9.6 seconds left that gave the Bearcats a 57-56 lead. Lady Tiger Jennifer Sullivan drove the length of the floor in the closing seconds, but missed a short jumper in the lane that, fittingly, Stephens grabbed with 0.7 seconds remaining. Stephens converted 1-of-2 free throws for the final margin. UC also connected on six straight free throws in the final six minutes. Memphis, meanwhile, missed 2-of-3 free throws and a wide-open layup in the final four minutes. The Lady Tigers shot 46.2 percent (6-of-13) from the free throw line in the second half and 52.9 percent (9-of-17) for the game. ''That hurts,'' Savage said. ''We had cut down on our turnovers and now we've let our rebounding go out the window ... and our free throws. We had been shooting 75, 78 almost 80 percent (from the line) our last two games and now we shoot 52.9. ''We have to realize if you fix one thing, it doesn't mean you let another thing go out the window.'' The Tigers, averaging 20 turnovers in conference games, committed only 11, but were manhandled on the offensive boards. UC, behind Stephens's five, had 15 offensive rebounds to Memphis's eight. ''Everything else is even, but the free throws and rebounding,'' Savage said. ''They annihilated us on the boards.'' Savage said she didn't remind her team before the game that Cincinnati ranked 14th, or last, in C-USA in rebounding (a 34.5 average) because she didn't want her Lady Tigers to become complacent. She had told them if they could outrebound the Bearcats by 15 they'd win. Despite being dominated on the boards, the Lady Tigers had their chances in the second half. Trailing 33-27 in the opening minute of second half, the U of M went on an 11-2 run -- a run powered by Victoria Crawford and reserve guard Jessica Hall -- to take a 38-35 lead. Midway through half, the Lady Tigers applied full-court pressure and built their advantage to seven points on two occasions, including 51-44 on a Hall steal and layup with 6:42 to go. But Hall's layup was one of only two field goals the Lady Tigers would have in the game's final nine minutes. Crawford, who finished with a game-high 28 points, missed 6-of-12 free throws, including a key miss after powering in a layup and being fouled with 31.2 seconds left.

01/30/05		Women's Tennis Opens Season With Loss to USF -- Lady Tigers fall 7-0 (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Lady Tiger tennis team (0-1) opened the season with a 7-0 loss to USF (3-0), which had just beaten No. 40 Ole Miss the day before. The Lady Tigers dropped two doubles sets, 8-3, before the team of Neyssa Etienne and Courtney Vernon survived a tiebreak, 9-8 (5) over the Lady Tiger No. 1 team of Marlene Dirnstorfer and Brooke Cowie. Down 1-0, Memphis battled, but was unable to match USF in the final outcome, as USF won all six singles matches in straight sets. "I told the team, we played better than the scores indicated," head coach Charlotte Peterson said. "We struck the ball really well, and hopefully that will carry over into next weekend." The Lady Tigers will cross the state of Tennessee to face UT-Chattanooga, Friday, Georgia State, Saturday and Tennessee Tech, Sunday for the first busy weekend of the season. USF 7, Memphis 0 Doubles No. 1 - Neyssa Etienne/Courtney Vernon def Marlene Dirnstrofer/Brooke Cowie (UM), 9-8 (5) No. 2 - Gabriela Duch/Luisa Obando def. Andrea Feichtinger/ Alex Tjioe (UM), 8-3 No. 3 - Fabiana Taverna/ Liz Cruz def. Kristin Noble/Kathrin Kohl (UM), 8-3 Singles No. 1 - Neyssa Etienna def. Marlene Dirnstorfer (UM), 6-2, 6-2 No. 2 - Courtney Vernon def. Andrea Feichtigner, 6-0, 6-0 No. 3 - Gabriela Duch def. Brooke Cowie (UM), 6-0, 6-0 No .4 - Fabiana Taverna beat Kristin Noble (UM), 6-1, 6-0 No .5 - Liz Cruz beat Christina Wieser (UM), 6-0, 6-1 No. 6 - Luisa Obando def. Alex Tjioe (UM), 6-0, 6-3

01/30/05		Cincinnati Upends Lady Tigers, 58-56 -- Memphis falls to 10-11 on the season (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Anne Stephens grabbed an offensive board and stuck back the jumper with nine seconds remaining in the game to give Cincinnati (6-14, 1-6 C-USA) a 58-56 win over Memphis (10-11, 3-5 C-USA), Sunday. Stephens then went to the defensive end and grabbed a defensive rebound and waited for the Lady Tigers to foul her, before she went to the line to hit one of two free-throws to snap a nine-game Bearcat losing streak and give Cincinnati its first league win of the season. "Our game plan was to front her (Stephens)," Savage said. "But post defense starts with pressure on the ball up front and we didn't do that." Stephens would finish with a career-high 24 points off the bench, adding nine rebounds in 36 minutes of play, while Micah Harvey and Toni Slaughter each added 11. "We just get one thing fixed in our turnovers (Memphis would finish with 11), and then we forget to do that things that were working," Savage said. "Before this game, we were shooting 70 or 80 percent from the free-throw line, and tonight we go out and shoot 52.9 percent." The Lady Tigers got off to a quick start, sprinting out to a 9-2 lead before Cincinnati went on an 8-0 run to take their first lead of the game at 10-9. The Lady Tigers would answer back and retake the lead, but the lead never grew to more than five points in the remainder of the first half, and the Lady Tigers trailed 30-27 at the half. Cincinnati would come out and Karen Twehues would hit a three right from the top of the key to stretch the lead to six at 33-27, before Memphis would use a 8-2 run to tie the game at 35 all. Then freshman Jessica Hall would nail a three off an inbounds play to give Memphis a 38-35 lead at the 15:06 mark. But Memphis would not put the Bearcats away, despite leading by seven two different times late in the second half. "We have got to put teams away," Savage said. "Cincinnati was a team that was due a win, we told the team that in the locker room. They play with intensity and they haven't scored 70 points except once in conference play. If the game is 50 or 60 points, that favors them, we have got to learn to pull away." Stephens would hit a jumper at the 1:22 mark to cut the lead to 54-53, and Harvey would step to the line to hit two free-throws to retake the lead at 55-54 with 32 seconds to play. Memphis drove down the floor and Victoria Crawford drove the lane, hitting a bucket to put Memphis back on top 56-55. Crawford also picked up the foul, but missed the and-one, as Slaughter grabbed the defensive board and Cincinnati drove to the end of the floor with 10 seconds remaining in the game. Harvey would penetrate the right block and throw up a wild shot, missing the rim, but Stephens was there for the put-back to seal the game. Crawford finished with 28 points, but had an uncharacteristic day from the free-throw line, shooting 6-for-12. Jessica Hall came off the bench to score 10 points, hitting Memphis' only three, and spurring a defensive effort on Harvey that allowed the Lady Tigers to maintain a lead for a majority of the second half. Crawford and Jennifer Sullivan led the team with five rebounds apiece, as Memphis was out-rebounded 40-28 for the game. The road gets more difficult for Memphis in the coming weeks as the Lady Tigers face league-leading TCU, Saturday, at 7 p.m. in Fort Worth, then follow that with a road contest at Houston, Monday, at 7 p.m. TCU defeated Houston Sunday afternoon to remain in a four-way tie for first atop the C-USA standings at 6-1.

01/30/05		Turn about is good play -- Tigers continue recent improvement (Commercial Appeal)
		By Zack McMillin Contact January 30, 2005 FORT WORTH, Texas -- What a difference two weeks -- and, apparently, one player -- makes. With a 72-57 victory on Saturday night here against TCU, the University of Memphis basketball team proved that it is, indeed, a team transformed. Against the same Horned Frog bunch that had left Memphis Jan. 15 with a 61-59 victory -- a game in which TCU led by 12 late -- the Tigers looked both resilient and cohesive in winning for the third time in the last four games. They are now 12-9 for the season and 5-2 in Conference USA. And 3-1 since Sean Banks left the team after being ruled academically ineligible. ''It was a good game for us, to get on the road and hold a team to 28-percent shooting,'' said UofM coach John Calipari. And, he would add: ''Our goals haven't changed. We are right where we want to be.'' With a disciplined, swarming defense and an offensive balance that had five players scoring nine or more points, the Tigers led by seven at the half and by 16 with 12:23 to go. By hitting 17-of-20 free throws after the half, the Tigers held off TCU's one strong rally and quieted a Daniel-Meyer Coliseum crowd of 5,789. Freshman point guard Darius Washington hit 10-of-10 free throws to lead the Tigers with 17 points. He also had five assists, five rebounds and a pair of steals. Reserve Jeremy Hunt added 13 points, and forwards Rodney Carney (12) and Duane Erwin (11) were also in double figures. ''Maybe fans look at it like, 'Oh, Sean is gone so now they are winning,' but it's not just that,'' Washington said. ''Everybody is giving their all and contributing to the win. That's what it is.'' On the one hand, nobody wants to single out Banks for blame. ''I don't want to put that on him; he's not here right now,'' Calipari said. ''Normally, you start with blaming it on the dead guy. Then you blame it on the guy that's not there. And then figure out who else is in line to blame it on. ''I don't like doing that. We're getting better and probably would've done the same if he were here.'' And yet, it doesn't take a locker-room interpreter to understand the coded language the Tigers use when discussing why they are all of sudden playing with the kind of purpose and meaning that eluded them in November and December. ''We don't have that weak link defensively now,'' Calipari said, obviously referring to Banks. Here's Carney, talking about the offensive difference without Banks: ''When we swing the ball, it doesn't stop with one player trying to make a one-on-one play. We're a better team.'' TCU coach Neil Doherty felt like circumstances in the game dictated the discrepancies in the two outcomes. Most important, he said, were the early charge calls that went against his star point guard, Corey Santee. Though Santee would lead TCU (13-8, 3-4) with 16 points, he could never find gaps in the Memphis defense and his 4-of-13 shooting contributed to TCU's frustrating offensive effort. Memphis drew five charges on TCU in the first half alone. ''When he picked up the early charges, he lost some of his thunder,'' Doherty said. ''That's how sharp the edge is in college basketball. Maybe if those are called blocks and he gets to shoot free throws ... but you never know.'' TCU led, 18-13, with six minutes left in the half, and the Tigers had gone more than nine minutes without a field goal. After Erwin dropped a jumper and Carney converted a steal, layup and the foul, the Tiger offense started clicking. Rice hit a three, Erwin scored on a drive to the hoop, then Hunt drained a pair of threes. The Tigers would score 21 points in the final six minutes of the half to take a 34-27 lead. In the opening 71/2 minutes of the second half, the lead would extend to 51-35, thanks in part to a pair of threes by Carney. TCU answered with a 12-0 run that was sparked by a techical foul Calipari earned when, he said, he left the coaching box thinking a media break was about to be called. But Memphis took advantage of fouls by over-eager TCU players, expanding the lead back to nine with five free throws. With TCU hitting but one field goal in the final 11 minutes, the Tigers cruised. ''We knew they were going to make a run and coach made a mistake and stuff happens technical,'' Erwin said. ''We just dug in our heels. It was nothing to get scared about or nervous.'' -- Zack McMillin: 529-2564

01/30/05		U of M Postgame (Commercial Appeal)
		Play of the game Maybe it's a little unfair to single out one bad moment but Tiger coach John Calipari took responsibility after the game for earning a technical foul, with 12:15 to go in the game. After TCU guard Corey Santee had one of his few successful slashes to the basket, earning a foul on Anthony Rice, Calipari said he started walking to halfcourt because he thought it was time for a media break. It wasn't, and Calipari earned the technical, got the crowd into a frenzy and watched as TCU trimmed a 51-35 lead down to 51-47. The Tigers stiffened and would allow only one TCU field goal the final 11 minutes. ''I told 'em, 'You guys covered for me,''' Calipari said. Stat of the game TCU shot only 28.3 percent from the field (13-of-46) against a swarming and helping U o fM defense that continues to improve. X's and O's Calipari said someone told him before the game the key would be 3-point shooting. ''No,'' Calipari said he told them. ''The key is that wall.'' By ''that wall,'' Calipari meant an imaginary trench where the Tiger defenders would dig in to prevent Santee from driving to the basket. Santee finished with 16 points, but was called for two early charges and finished shooting only 4-of-13 from the field. Trends U of M freshman point guard Darius Washington, who was a 50-percent free-throw shooter in the first nine games of the season, was 10-of-10 at the line. In the last eight games, Washington is 46-of-58 (.793) at the line. Odds and ends Duane Erwin came out of the game with 2:56 left in the first half after hurting his ankle. He returned before halftime, however, and seemed fine in the second half and after the game. TCU definitely knew about his pregame boast that he'd be going for 20 points and 20 rebounds. He finished with 11 points and three rebounds. TCU was called for 12 personal fouls in the first half, and five of those were on charges. Arthur Barclay drew two of them, and he was just as effective on the other end of the floor, pulling down five first-half offensive rebounds (he finished with seven total rebounds). After Calipari's technical foul, Tiger assistant coach Tony Barbee looked like Calipari's bodyguard as he tried -- in vain -- to keep Calipari in the coaching box and avoid the second technical foul that would've meant an automatic ejection. What's next East Carolina comes to Memphis on something of a roll. The Pirates (7-13, 2-6 Conference USA) defeated Charlotte, 54-51, on Saturday for their second consecutive win. The Pirates had lost 11 straight games against Division 1 opponents. In Moussa Badiane, the Pirates have one of the best shot-blockers in the country, and defense is the one thing the Pirates do well. Offensively, the Pirates are lacking, shooting right at 40-percent for the season. -- Zack McMillin

01/30/05		Clumsy U of M spun bad news into crisis -- University unprepared for trouble, experts say (Commercial Appeal)
		By David Williams Contact January 30, 2005 Consider the face of the University of Memphis these days: The self-inflicted black eyes, the tight lips too slow to acknowledge institutional shortcomings and supporter unrest. So say local public relations experts about the school's handling of Tiger basketball player Jeremy Hunt, charged earlier this month with domestic assault against ex-girlfriend and former Lady Tiger basketball player Tamika Rogers. "I was dumbfounded to learn they did not have a university policy for such a thing," said John Malmo, who has his own marketing consulting firm and considers himself a friend of the Tigers dating to their Crump Stadium football days. "If they had had a university policy, then I think this would have fallen under the category of 'bad news.' It would not have fallen under the category of 'crisis.' " Initially, the school seemed inclined to let Hunt, a junior from Craigmont High, continue to play. Then it sat him out for two games. Then he was allowed to play, provided he received services from the school's Center for Student Development. Having communicated to the public mostly through press releases, school officials then held a news conference on Tuesday, more than two weeks after Hunt allegedly battered Rogers. Athletic director R.C. Johnson, noting "a little unrest" among boosters, announced that Tiger coaches' disciplinary policies would be reviewed and changes considered. "I think anything they do now," said Ralph Berry, president of Thompson & Berry public relations, "is going to seem reactionary." Berry said the school doesn't just need to change its disciplinary policies -- it needs a crisis management plan for how decisions will be made and communicated to the public. Currently, the school has a crisis management plan for physical occurrences, such as fire or severe weather, but not for a so-called "intangible crisis" such as the Hunt case. "Ultimately, the image of the university overall needs to be paramount in what decision is made," Berry said. "Anything that has the words 'University of Memphis' after it doesn't just reflect on the individual discipline being discussed. It reflects on the overall view of the university as a whole." By the PR experts' reckoning, then, this hasn't just been a season of tumult for Tiger basketball, which also has seen star sophomore Sean Banks suspended for breaking team rules, involved in a locker room fight with teammate Arthur Barclay and ruled academically ineligible. It's a time of turmoil for the entire university, locally and nationally, such as when the Tigers' troubles were detailed during Thursday night's ESPN2 telecast of the U of M-DePaul game. Malmo said the athletic department appeared to be rising in stature, "and then something like this happens and it kind of pulls the old 'Tiger High' back out of the bottom of the basket." Longtime university supporter Cato Johnson likewise said at a time when there's so much to celebrate, from football to fund-raising, "This has been a very difficult stretch for fans and friends of the university as a whole and the athletic department in particular." The U of M largely defends its handling of Hunt, but Curt Guenther, U of M communications services director, said: "Although we were trying to do things in the way we thought was the correct way, based on the criticism we've gotten from the media and so forth, we have to be realistic and honest and say, 'Well, maybe we didn't handle this like we should have or could have, and therefore we are going to look at it.' " He said the lack of a crisis management plan "probably exacerbated a bad situation." Guenther said a crisis plan will be created, perhaps working with Sossaman + Associates, which is the university's ad agency of record and has a public relations arm. He said there's no timetable for completing the plan. In a Berry-styled crisis plan, the school would have spoken with one voice in those days before Hunt's suspension. Instead, on the eve of the player's arraignment and the Tigers' game with Marquette, Calipari was asked if Hunt could play and answered, in a seemingly flippant way, "Sure." Guenther said the response was typical of Calipari's style and way with the media, but, "Had he been a little more eloquent and specific, then the public might not have gotten the perception that we were being so cavalier about it. "The truth of the matter is, the university was taking it very seriously and trying to decide what was the best thing to do for everybody involved." The school seemed to stumble again when it cleared Hunt to play -- making the announcement just before the Tigers' game at South Florida, where there would be less public scrutiny. "Whether the intent was there or not, it smacks of being sneaky," Malmo said. Longtime U of M supporter Harold Byrd agreed: "When the spotlight was off the team and they were out of town, yes, I can see why people would criticize that decision." Guenther said the timing of Hunt's reinstatement was driven by the school's study of the case, not a pending tip-off. But, he added, "People may have gotten the impression we were conspiring to win at all costs." The school's announcement of Hunt's return had a curious twist -- he could play, but only if he received services from the Center for Student Development. Again, Guenther acknowledged the negative perception: "If he's guilty, why is he playing? If he's not guilty, why is he going through counseling? "The best answer I can give you is that the university was trying to cover the bases that it thought needed to be covered." Hunt is scheduled to appear Monday in General Sessions Criminal Court on the assault charge, which carries up to 11 months and 29 days in prison. Guenther said the university -- based on what it knows but can't disclose for legal reasons -- believes it will be viewed less harshly when the case is settled. Nonetheless, the U of M is reviewing its disciplinary policies and studying how other schools handle such issues. It also will formulate a crisis management plan to better handle any future incidents. "What is it the Army calls it?" Guenther said. "Lessons learned?" -- David Williams: 529-2310

01/30/05		Memphis 72, TCU 57 (Daily Helmsman)
		The Associated Press January 30, 2005 FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - Darius Washington scored 14 of his 17 points in the second half and Jeremy Hunt added 13 to help Memphis defeat TCU 72-57 Saturday night. Memphis (12-9, 5-2 Conference USA) saw its 16-point lead cut to four midway through the second half before pulling away. TCU (13-8, 3-4) shot a season-low 28 percent from the floor and did not have a field goal in the final 7:25. Corey Santee had 16 points and Nile Murry chipped in with 14 for the Horned Frogs. Memphis' Anthony Rice scored nine points to surpass 1,000 for his career. He now has 1,004 points. Washington scored 14 points in the final 9:06 after the Horned Frogs narrowed the score to 51-47. The Tigers led 34-27 at halftime and extended it to 51-35 on Hunt's layup before Santee scored six in an 11-0 run. TCU did not get any closer the rest of the way. Murry hit a 3-pointer with 7:25 remaining, but the Horned Frogs missed their final nine shots from the field.

01/29/05		Tigers Pounce On Horned Frogs, 72-57 -- Darius Washington scores 17 points for Memphis (GoTigersGo.com)
		Fort Worth, TX (Sports Network) - Darius Washington scored 17 points and dished out five assists in leading the Memphis Tigers to a 72-57 victory over the TCU Horned Frogs in Conference USA action from Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. Jeremy Hunt had 13 points for the Tigers (12-9, 5-2 C-USA), while Rodney Carney finished with 12 points and Duane Erwin tallied 11 points. Corey Santee paced TCU (13-8, 3-4) in defeat with 16 points, while Nile Murry had 14 points and four rebounds. Memphis went on a 12-5 run late in the first half of action, helping it take a 34-27 advantage into the break. The Tigers made 17-of-20 shots taken from the foul line in the second stanza, as they cruised to the 15-point victory. Memphis converted 24-of-31 free throw attempts and won the battle on the boards, 38-33.

01/29/05		Memphis Basketball Boxscore -- Memphis 72, TCU 57 (GoTigersGo.com)
		Official Basketball Box Score -- GAME TOTALS -- FINAL STATISTICS MEMPHIS vs TCU 1/29/05 7:05 p.m. at Fort Worth, TX (Daniel-Meyer Colisuem) --------------------------------------------------------------- VISITORS: MEMPHIS 12-9 (5-2 C-USA) TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS ## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 10 Carney, Rodney...... f 4-14 2-7 2-3 1 2 3 4 12 1 1 0 2 34 11 Erwin, Duane........ f 4-7 1-2 2-4 1 2 3 5 11 2 2 0 1 25 55 Barclay, Arthur..... f 1-2 0-0 3-4 5 2 7 5 5 0 2 0 0 21 23 Rice, Anthony....... g 3-6 2-4 1-2 2 0 2 4 9 2 2 1 0 26 35 WASHINGTON, Darius.. g 3-6 1-4 10-10 1 4 5 1 17 5 3 1 2 37 01 Williams, Waki...... 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 02 Beavers, Tank....... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 05 Hunt, Jeremy........ 4-9 2-4 3-4 0 3 3 0 13 2 2 0 0 25 14 Njoya, Simplice..... 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 4 0 0 0 1 0 11 15 Dorsey, Joey........ 1-3 0-0 3-4 1 5 6 3 5 0 2 0 0 17 TEAM................ 7 7 1 Totals.............. 20-48 8-22 24-31 12 26 38 28 72 12 15 3 5 200 TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 11-29 37.9% 2nd Half: 9-19 47.4% Game: 41.7% DEADB 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 5-14 35.7% 2nd Half: 3-8 37.5% Game: 36.4% REBS F Throw % 1st Half: 7-11 63.6% 2nd Half: 17-20 85.0% Game: 77.4% 3,1 ----------------------------------------------------------- HOME TEAM: TCU 13-8 (3-4 C-USA) TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS ## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 32 SLOAN, Marcus....... f 1-2 0-0 2-6 3 3 6 4 4 0 3 0 2 29 12 IBIKUNLE, Femi...... c 1-4 0-0 2-4 2 2 4 2 4 0 2 0 0 18 03 SANTEE, Corey....... g 4-13 2-7 6-7 0 1 1 3 16 0 4 0 1 26 04 MURRY, Nile......... g 4-8 3-6 3-6 2 2 4 3 14 2 1 0 1 36 10 SHROPSHIRE, Marcus.. g 1-8 1-7 4-5 2 2 4 3 7 3 1 0 1 29 02 REESE-HACKETT, Brent 1-6 1-3 0-0 0 1 1 2 3 1 1 0 1 20 13 DOUGHERTY, Neil P... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 15 STUBBS, Judson...... 0-1 0-1 1-2 2 0 2 3 1 0 1 0 0 12 21 CURTIS, Aaron....... 1-2 0-0 6-6 1 3 4 5 8 0 2 0 2 21 23 ADAMS, Blake........ 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 3 3 1 0 0 1 0 1 4 45 PIERCE, Art......... 0-0 0-0 0-2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 TEAM................ 2 1 3 Totals.............. 13-46 7-24 24-38 14 19 33 27 57 6 16 0 9 200 TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 7-20 35.0% 2nd Half: 6-26 23.1% Game: 28.3% DEADB 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 5-11 45.5% 2nd Half: 2-13 15.4% Game: 29.2% REBS F Throw % 1st Half: 8-15 53.3% 2nd Half: 16-23 69.6% Game: 63.2% 6,1 -------------------------------------------------------- Officials: Kevin Mathis, K.C. Ely, Kyle Neve Technical fouls: MEMPHIS-TEAM. TCU-None. Attendance: 5789 Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total MEMPHIS....................... 34 38 - 72 TCU........................... 27 30 - 57

01/29/05		Lady Tigers to Host Cincinnati, Sunday -- Game will be televised live in Memphis on UPN-30 and nationally on CSTV (check your cable or satellite operators for channels in your area) (GoTigersGo.com)
		A Second Live Television Appearance Memphis will host Cincinnati in the Lady Tigers' second live television appearance of the season. The game will be carried live on WLMT in Memphis, and is also available on College Sports TV (check local listings to see if it is live or delayed in your area). In Memphis, CSTV is available on Time Warner Channel 649 and nationally on DirecTV 610. In St. Louis, the game will air live on Charter Channel 21 and in New Orleans, it will air on Cox Sports Television live. It will also air in Greensboro, N.C. and Roanoke, Virginia, on WGSR-Star 39 live. Fans in Chicago can check the Comcast SportsNet Chicago schedule to see if the game will be carried live or ona tape-delayed basis, as can fans on Fox Sports Net Ohio. Fans in Albuquerque, N.M., can also check the programming on WKTV TV-38 to see if the game will air live or tape-delayed. About Cincinnati Cincinnati comes into Sunday's contest following a loss at Saint Louis 49-47. UC has lost nine straight games, the longest losing streak since the 1994-95 season. Cincinnati came close to getting an all-important conference road win in St. Louis, but could only watch as the Billikens hit two free-throws to clinch the win and hand Cincinnati its eighth-straight C-USA road loss. It's a tough season for the team following the graduation of all-American guard Valerie King and the transfer of center Debbie Merrill. The Bearcats are just eight wins away from 500 for their program's history. Need first half shooters In Memphis' 10 losses so far this year, the Lady Tigers are being outscored 353-287 in the first 20 minutes of the game. In the 10 games they've won, Memphis has outscored the opposition 318-269. Time to rebound The Louisville loss was just the second loss in the Elma Roane Fieldhouse for the Lady Tigers this season. Memphis will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak in Sunday's game. In games following a loss this year, Memphis is 3-5 following a loss in the previous game. None of those losses came on the Elma Roane court. Looking for two dominant halves A common theme among all the Lady Tiger losses has been the lack of a complete 40-minute effort. In Memphis' first appearance on C-USA TV, the Lady Tigers watched an 18-point lead disappear against the 49ers. The Lady Tigers will look to avenge that streak on C-USA television on Sunday. Outside game disappearing in last four Memphis has hit just 5-of-34 shots from three-point range in the last four games (14.7 percent). Jessica Hall and Tamika Butler have each hit two apiece in the last quartet of games, and Victoria Crawford has hit one, but Raven Rogers and Devin Necaise, two shooters who are in the Lady Tiger top 10 in career field goals made and attempted, have not hit a three in four games. Necaise has hit just one three in Conference USA play, at East Carolina in the season-opener.

01/29/05		Men's Tennis Falls 5-2 to No. 25 Tennessee -- Mark Finnegan picks up wins in singles and doubles at ranked foes (GoTigersGo.com)
		Just one day after falling at No. 20 Vanderbilt, the University of Memphis men's tennis team (1-2) battled, but were unable to get past No. 25 Tennessee in a 5-2 loss, Saturday. The Tigers' hung with the Vols at No. 2 and 3 doubles, with Alex Jago and Mark Finnegan winning the No. 3 match, 8-6. Unfortunately, the Tigers' top team of Scott Felsenthal and James Spence and the No. 2 team of Alex Bucewicz and Marten Tamla both suffered losses, giving Tennessee the doubles point. In singles play, Memphis picked up two points with wins at No. 2 singles and at No. 5. Senior Alex Bucewicz picked up the win at No. 2, downing Kiril Tcherveniachki, 6-4, 6-4. Mark Finnegan got the win at No. 5, using three sets to edge Ben Rogers, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4. But Tennessee claimed the match with wins at No. 1, 3, 4 and 6. The Tigers return home and will then head west for the next weekend, where Memphis will face Oral Roberts, Oklahoma State and No. 60 Tulsa in Oklahoma. No. 25 Tennessee 5, Memphis 2 Singles No. 1 - Mark Dietrich def. James Spence (UM), 7-6 (5), 6-4 No. 2 - Alex Bucewicz (UM) def. Kiril Tcherveniachki, 6-4, 6-4 No. 3 - Morgan Wilson def. Alex Jago (UM), 6-1, 6-1 No. 4 - David Baxendine def. Marten Tamla (UM), 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 No. 5 - Mark Finnegan (UM) def. Ben Rogers, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 No. 6 - Matt Berry def. Scott Felsenthal (UM), 6-7, 6-4, 10-6 Doubles No. 1 - Dietrich/Tcherveniachki def. Felsenthal/Spence (UM), 8-4 No. 2 - Cameron/Wilson def. Bucewicz/Tamla (UM), 8-6 No. 3 - Finnegan/Jago (UM) def. Baxendine/Rogers, 8-6

01/29/05		Tigers promise rematch against TCU will be rugged (Commercial Appeal)
		By Zack McMillin Contact January 29, 2005 FORT WORTH, Texas -- Attention, all you Tiger basketball fans who say you yearn for a little more conversation about basketball, a little less about still smoldering off-court issues. This is a big game your lads are playing down here tonight, at TCU's Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. Just listen to senior forward Duane 'Red' Erwin. "We're taking it to TCU," Erwin promised after the Tigers' Thursday night victory over DePaul at the FedExForum. "We're coming at them, we're coming at them hard. ... We may win. We may lose. But they're not going to like it." Attention, TCU bulletin board. There's more where that came from. "We're going to beat 'em and we're going to beat 'em old-fashioned," Erwin continued. "I'm going out to get 20 (points) and 20 (rebounds). And you can write that down and put it in the paper." Near Erwin's locker, Arthur Barclay heard what his fellow senior had to say and nodded his approval. Barclay, too, pledged vengeance. "We owe them," said Barclay, who served a one-game suspension following the last TCU game, for punching an opponent. "They got me suspended. I didn't like that." There's more fuss than usual for a UofM-TCU game. For that matter, more than any other game the two programs have ever played. On Jan. 15, in Memphis, TCU defeated the Tigers, 61-59, thanks to a 3-pointer by Corey Santee with 0.2 second left in the game. As a result of Barclay's punch, he would miss another Tiger loss, at UAB on Jan. 22. The feelings are heightened for a series that has never been more than an ordinary conference game. It's also big for another reason -- win, and the Tigers would make the rest of the league stop and pay close attention to what they've done on the court, amid the various turmoils that have afflicted the squad. At 11-9 overall and now 4-2 in Conference USA after Thursday's victory, the Tigers can head into February with a real chance to contend for the league title. That the Tigers have withstood the month's adversity -- the Barclay-Sean Banks fight, followed by junior Jeremy Hunt's arrest for an assault involving his ex-girlfriend, followed by Banks being ruled academically ineligible -- has much to do with Erwin and Joey Dorsey, his freshman colleague on the interior. When DePaul coach Dave Leitao talked about his team being "manhandled" by Memphis's interior players, he was talking mostly about Erwin (13 points, nine rebounds) and, especially, Dorsey (eight points, 11 rebounds, three blocked shots). "With Sean Banks gone, everybody knows they need to step up their game," said Dorsey, 6-9, 260-pound Baltimore native who came to Memphis by way of Laurinberg (N.C.) Prep. "Me and Duane Erwin are helping each other out because I push him in practice, he pushes me and we are making each other better." Their improvement has meant that they hear less criticism from their coach, John Calipari . Or, to hear Dorsey tell it, maybe it's the other way around. As Calipari has softened his approach, Dorsey been able to keep his mind in the game and play with confidence. After some big early games, Dorsey seemed to disappear at times, and he said he finally asked to meet with his coach one on one. "Whoo," Dorsey said. "It seemed like he was screaming at me all the time. At one point, I almost walked off the court and just quit." But after a conversation with his cousin, Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets, Dorsey said he realized Calipari screamed because he cared. Since that conversation, and the meeting with Calipari, Dorsey said there is a better balance. "I just said, 'Get on me when I mess up, let me play my game.'" Erwin, of course, knows all about getting the Calipari treatment. There were times early in his career when the coaching staff would make Erwin stay in a drill against Chris Massie, the former Tiger widebody. Barclay just shakes his head at the memory of 20-year-old Erwin being humiliated by Massie, then a 27-year-old senior. "Demoralizing," Barclay says. While Erwin hasn't exactly come around to saying he appreciated the harsh treatment, he does say admit it's made him a better player. Since the Dec. 11 loss to Ole Miss, Erwin is averaging right at eight points and seven rebounds per game. Calipari said Thursday he feels like Erwin can be one of the best big men in the league. "But he's got to get that mindset, and he's got to try to dominate every day in practice," Calipari said. Besides, said Barclay, after four years with Calipari, Erwin should definitely be prepared for whatever comes next. "I tell him when he gets into the real world, he's gonna be the best mental toughness guy there is," Barclay said. "Ain't nothing going to phase him, the way he's held his composure through it all." -- Zack McMillin: 529-2564

01/29/05		Tigers vs. TCU (Commercial Appeal)
		7 p.m., Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, Fort Worth, Texas TV, radio: WLMT-TV (30), WMC-AM (790), WKBQ-FM (93.5). Records: Tigers 11-9 (4-2 Conference USA), TCU 13-7 (3-3) Series standing: Tigers lead, 9-1. Latest line: not available NOTABLES U of M coach John Calipari, after Thursday's win over DePaul, stumped for the Conference USA Tournament, which is being held in Memphis at FedExForum. He said ticket packages are not selling very quickly in Memphis, and that Louisville fans are gobbling them up. "We need people to start buying those tickets," Calipari said. ''We need 8,000 or 9,000 of our fans buying those packages because that could be the difference in our season.'' ... Calipari mentioned the fact that, for the second straight game with TCU, the Tigers are coming off a Thursday night game while TCU played on Wednesday. Though the Tigers had to travel this time, the nighttime tipoff should make a big difference over the previous game, which tipped off at noon and deprived the Tigers of the optimal 48 hours of rest athletes generally need between games. ... Tiger senior Anthony Rice needs five points to become the 39th player in the program's history to score 1,000 points or more. Junior Rodney Carney would get there with a big 25-point night. SCOUTING THE TIGERS Even though they played TCU only 14 days ago, this ever-evolving Tiger team will require a very different game plan. Well-chronicled in the UofM's game notes is the continuing maturity of freshman point guard Darius Washington, who is averaging 18.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.5 steals over the last seven games. Duane Erwin, using a now-reliable outside jumper, has become an offensive weapon and, with freshman Joey Dorsey gaining confidence, the Tigers can run a high-low combination with their post players. That, in turn, opens up the lane for wing players to slash and prevents defenders from cheating to prevent three-point shots. Of course, TCU also had to prepare for Sean Banks last time out; even so, the Tigers improved chemistry has translated into sharper execution. SCOUTING THE HORNED FROGS After running off a three-game winning streak, TCU has lost two straight -- at Saint Louis and at Charlotte. The Horned Frogs rank fourth in the conference in 3-point field-goal percentage (.361) and average about eight made threes per game. Corey Santee, the guard who nailed the buzzer-beater against the Tigers on Jan. 15, came down with strep throat before the win over Houston on Jan. 19, but seems to have recovered fine after tallying 19 points and five assists against Charlotte. KEY MATCHUP: Nile Murry vs. Rodney Carney Murry, a Temple transfer and TCU's second-leading scorer, hurt Memphis with 17 points in the FedExForum victory and is TCU's most versatile offensive option. Since giving the nation a show with 29 points and a monster dunk against Marquette on Jan. 13, Carney has struggled offensively. He scored only five points against DePaul, and, in his last four games, is shooting only .358 from the field (14-of-39). -- Zack McMillin

01/29/05		Second-half run KOs Lady Tigers -- Louisville 75, U of M 68 (Commercial Appeal)
		By Todd Vinyard Contact January 29, 2005 One lead change late was all the opening the Louisville Cardinals needed against the Memphis Lady Tigers Friday night. After trailing for the first half and 12 minutes of the second half, Louisville finally took control by a point on a free throw from Jazz Covington with less than nine minutes remaining. "Good teams are going to make runs and they did," said Lady Tiger Jennifer Sullivan. "When they made that run we didn't respond with the confidence you need to stop it." Louisville (14-5, 5-1 CUSA) never looked back en route to a 75-68 victory over Memphis (10-10, 3-4) in front of 965 fans at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. "I took a time-out early in the second half and challenged our team's intensity," said Lady Tiger coach Blair Savage. "We had that glassy-eyed look like, 'Here we go, here's the run' and we bailed them out fouling with under five seconds left on the shot clock. Then Louisville would go to the line and either make a free throw or get the offensive rebound and use that rebound by either picking up another foul or scoring on it." Louisville overcame starters Missy Taylor and Joleen Phillips being out of the lineup with injuries behind four players in double figures led by Covington's 19 points and eight rebounds. Angel Bradley and Jessica Huggins had 13 points each, while Connie Neal added 10. "We simplified things in the second half and that made a big difference tonight," said Louisville coach Tom Collen, whose team has won five straight games. "We went inside in the second half and we're able to get to the free-throw line. It was a tough win." The Cardinals made 21-of-27 free throw chances in the second half. They were equally hot from the field early hitting their first five shots to tie the game at 45 with 15:29 left. Memphis pulled away with a 7-0 run for a 54-47 lead with 12 minutes remaining. But Neal hit hit a 3-pointer and Yuliya Tokova scored on a three-point play to cut the lead to 57-56 at 9:10. Covington hit two free throws with 8:19 left for Louisville's first lead at 57-56. "It was a total team letdown on defense," Savage said. "When our guards didn't pressure the ball and defend one pass away, it made it so they could drive the ball and get fouls and that's why they went to the free-throw line so many more times. It wasn't the referees, it was that they drove the ball and we didn't." Jessica Hall's three-point play cut it to 63-61 at the 6:11 mark before a Cardinals 7-0 run put the game out of reach. "We were ready to play in the first half," Lady Tiger Victoria Crawford said. " But in the second half we got comfortable with the lead, even though it was three or so points. They had momentum at the end of the first half and it carried over into the second half." Sullivan led Memphis with 17 points followed by Crawford's 12. Memphis returns to C-USA play Sunday at 2 p.m. when they host Cincinnati. The Bearcats will come to Memphis 5-14 overall, 0-6 in conference play after losing 49-47 to Saint Louis Friday night. "We've got to put this game behind us and be ready to play," Sullivan said. "It is important to come out and do what we have to do next time." -- Todd Vinyard: 529-2343

01/29/05		Two prospects say yes to Tigers -- Prep ties helped land Miss. standout (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact January 29, 2005 Stacy Jones, a 6-2, 235-pound tight end/fullback from Columbus (Miss.) High, and Eric Evans, a 6-3, 285-pound offensive lineman from East Poinsett (Ark.) County, said Friday they'll continue their football careers at the University of Memphis. Jones, a member of The Clarion-Ledger's Top 40 prospects, and Evans, an all-state selection, are expected to sign National Letters of Intent Wednesday, the start of the national signing period. Their announcements give Memphis 15 commitments/mid-term signees. Jones, who said Army offered him a scholarship, said his decision was never in doubt. The official visit he is taking to the UofM campus this weekend is the first, and only, one he has taken. He said the combination of having ex-Columbus High players at the UofM, playing for a rising program and having an abundance of relatives in Memphis made the decision relatively simple. ''This is going to be home for me for the next four years,'' Jones said. Jones said he played multiple positions at Columbus High, where his father, Bernard, is defensive coordinator. He said he played tight end, fullback, offensive guard, wingback, noseguard and linebacker. On defense, he said he registered 150 tackles, including 10 sacks and six forced fumbles. He returned a fumble 50 yards for a touchdown. At the UofM, he expects to play fullback and tight end. ''I'm going to get in my freshman year and try to do something,'' he said. ''I'm going to try and play right away.'' He'll be among friends. Former Columbus High standouts Quinton McCrary, a linebacker, and Marcus West, a defensive end, are starters on defense. Jones and McCrary were teammates. ''(McCrary) loves it here,'' Jones said. ''He said it's got a good off-season program, the schedule is good, the coaches are good, the players are great.'' Bernard, in his 10th season as a Columbus assistant, had no reservations about his son following West and McCrary to Memphis. ''They got a first-class program and some excellent coaches here,'' Bernard said. ''All my guys who have been here so far have been impressed with what's been going on. They're happy, so I know he'll be happy.'' Speaking as a defensive coordinator, and perhaps more as a father, Bernard said the Tigers are ''getting a sleeper, he can play.'' Selected to play in the Jan. 13 All-American Bowl Classic, a prep all-star game in Shreveport organized by recruiting expert Max Emfinger, Jones started at linebacker and had five tackles, a sack and he caused a fumble. When the Tigers play at home next season, the addition of Jones should slightly increase the turnstile count at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. ''We'll have our own section, half of Columbus will be there and so will his Memphis relatives,'' Bernard said. ''My wife (Pamela) was born in Chicago, but she was raised in Memphis." As for Evans, he helped East Poinsett to an 8-1 record and an upset win over perennial power Barton in the first round of the state playoffs. Evans, who committed to Arkansas State in December, made an official visit to the UofM last weekend and was convinced Memphis would be a fit for him. ''It's a great program on the rise,'' Evans said. ''And they are doing things the right way.'' Evans played offensive tackle and middle linebacker for East Poinsett and earned several postseason honors, including all-district recognition. He also was selected to the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star Game, which will be played June 24 at the University of Arkansas. -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

01/28/05		Tough defense leads Tigers to victory (Daily Helmsman)
		Matthew Laurie Sports Reporter January 28, 2005 Don't look now but The University of Memphis Tigers are only one game out of first place in Conference USA. The Tigers (11-9 overall, 4-2 in C-USA) pulled out their fourth conference win of the season against the Depaul Blue Demons (12-5, 4-2) by a final of 68-55. Fans watching the game saw the evolution of two Tigers, one which was expected, but the other may surprised. Freshman guard Darius Washington and senior center Duane Erwin logged 38 and 36 minutes respectively and it seemed each minute brought more confidence. "I thought in the first half Red (Erwin) did terrific and little Darius is playing well (with) seven assists and three turnovers," said head coach John Calipari. Erwin started the game on a shooting tear, hitting jumper after jumper just beyond the free throw line. "I felt invincible," Erwin said. "When I looked toward the goal I was ready to shoot every shot - even when I was out toward the three - but I just didn't want to get off my roll." Erwin's shooting and the passing of Washington helped the Tigers to an early 20-8 lead. However, sharp-shooting Depaul guards Sammy Mejia and Drake Diener whittled the lead down to one by halftime 32-31. In the second half, the Tigers turned up the defensive intensity which produced transition baskets and a larger lead. A layup, foul and converted free throw by Washington gave the Tigers a six point lead with 6:13 left. The defense of the Tigers - especially Erwin - held Depaul's star forward Quemont Greer to only four shots in the second half and 14 points on 5 of 19 from the field. Greer averaged 21 points per game going into tonight's game. In the game's last three minutes the Tigers never let the Blue Demons within five points of the lead. The game was sealed when senior guard Anthony Rice rebounded a Tiger missed free throw with 1:26 left. Tonight's win was as much of a team effort as any this year. Four players scored in double figures, pushing their record to 8-5 when doing so. "Today, a guy like Rodney Carney who didn't have it offensively went in and defended and rebounded at the end and it shows a lot about our team," Calipari said. "Rodney - at the end of the game - comes up with the plays, the rebounds and the balls that helped us win the game." The play of Washington is increasingly becoming a key to The U of M's success. The Tigers are now 7-1 when Washington has more assists than turnovers this year. Getting teammates involved seems to be important to the team concept. "Each game somebody steps up and that's really good because it doesn't put pressure on one guy," said Washington. The Tigers will hope to capture lightning in a bottle as they look to avenge a heart-breaking loss to the TCU Horned Frogs (13-7, 3-3) tomorrow night in Forth Worth, Texas. "We owe them one," said Erwin. "We might win or we might lose, but they're not going to like it either way it goes. We're going to beat them old fashioned. I'm going out to get 20 (points) and 20 (rebounds) if I can. You can write that down and put it in the paper, I'm going out there for 20 and 20."

01/28/05		Lady Tigers Drop Second Home Game of the Year -- Fall to Louisville, 75-68 (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Despite leading a majority of the game, the University of Memphis women's basketball team (10-10, 3-4 C-USA) suffered its second home loss of the season to Louisville (14-5, 5-1), 75-68, Friday night. Memphis came out of the gates aggressive on defense and capitalizing on the offensive end as seven different players scored in the opening 20 minutes to help Memphis shoot out to a nine point lead at 24-15 with 9:13 in the half. But two turnovers and a pair of fouls stopped any Memphis momentum as the Lady Tigers got passive and stopped rebounding. The Louisville momentum that helped the Cardinals close to 36-33 at the half carried over into the second half, as Memphis seemed to be waiting for the momentum to break. "I took a time-out early in the second half and challenged our team's intensity and integrity," Blair Savage said. "We had that glassy-eyed look like `here we go, here's the run' and we bailed them out by fouling with under five seconds left on the shot clock. Then Louisville would go to the line and either make a free-throw or get the offensive rebound and use that rebound by either picking up another foul or scoring it." The first of four ties came at the 15:29 mark as Louisville' Jessica Huggins hit a jumper. Memphis answered with a pair of missed threes from Raven Rogers and Devin Necaise before freshman Marie Reid grabbed an offensive board and put Memphis back on top 47-45 at the 14:43 mark. Reid was then whistled for a foul on the other end and Tatjana Kiseljova stepped to the free-throw line and hit a pair of free-throws to force the second tie of the night. Again, Memphis would answer back, as Victoria Crawford hit one of two free-throws to Memphis back up one, and a Necaise jumper made it 50-47, Memphis with 13:30 to play. That lead would stretch to as many as seven twice, before Connie Neal hit a three and Yuliya Tokova hit a jumper to cut the lead to 56-54 at the 9:10 mark. A pair of Jazz Covington free-throws then tied the game and gave Louisville its first lead of the night at 57-56 with 7:45 to play. It was the worst possible time for a Lady Tiger scoring drought, but Memphis went from the 11:34 mark to the 6:46 mark without a point put on the board, and that was all Louisville would need to keep the remainder of the game out of reach. "They went more to Covington in the second half," Savage said. "And she really responded and that wasn't just the fault of our posts, it was a total team letdown on defense. When our guards didn't pressure the ball and defend one-pass away, it made it so they could drive the ball and get the fouls and that's why they went to the free-throw line so many more times (Louisville had 35 attempts from the line, while Memphis had 12). It wasn't the officiating, it was they drove the ball and we didn't." Covington, the C-USA player of the week for the past week, led all players with 19 points, while Angel Bradley and Huggins each added 13. Connie Neal came off the bench to add 10 points, including 3-of-6 shooting from three-point range. "In the first half, we were ready to play," Victoria Crawford said. "But it's almost like in the second half we got comfortable with the lead, even though it was three or so points. They had the momentum at the end of the first half and it carried over into the second half." Memphis will face Cincinnati, Sunday, at 2 p.m. in a game that will be televised live locally on UPN-30, and nationally on CSTV. The re-air of the Louisville game will be carried in Memphis on Time Warner Channel 6 beginning at 6:30 p.m., Saturday night.

01/28/05		Lady Tigers use new approach in prep for Louisville (Daily Helmsman)
		Matthew Laurie Sports Reporter January 28, 2005 Entering Friday night's game, The University of Memphis Lady Tigers will play a familiar opponent. Their preparation for the game was anything but familiar. The new practice competition was not simply another team, but a team of another sex. But it's a move that senior guard Raven Rogers enjoyed. "I'm so glad they brought them in today," Rogers said. Men scrimmaged against The Lady Tigers (10-9 overall, 3-3 in Conference USA) to help them prepare for the Louisville Cardinals (13-5, 4-1). The game should be one of the toughest yet as the Cardinals are coming off weekend wins over TCU (14-6, 5-1) and Houston (14-4, 5-1), the top two teams in Conference-USA. Cardinals center Jazz Covington put the blues on both teams by scoring a combined 34 points and snatching 19 rebounds in the two games, gaining C-USA player of the week honors. The other side of the equation that may cause trouble for the Lady Tigers is Missy Taylor, a 6-3 sophomore forward who scored 19 points and grabbed 18 rebounds over the weekend. "They both can shoot the three and they both can penetrate," said head coach Blair Savage. "They have a real knack for one another on the court and they're tough to defend." The Lady Tigers will combat their big frontcourt -- in stature and production -- with a lineup featuring four guards. "Normally when we play a team heavy in the post, we just outrun them," said Rogers. "Most teams can run with us early, but in the second half they're pretty much winded and holding their shorts." Ranked first in C-USA for field goal percentage defense, the Lady Tigers will try to stifle a team shooting the second best percentage in the conference and scoring more points per game than 10 other teams in the league. Averaging almost 22 turnovers per game, The Lady Tigers will have to take care of the ball to limit the chances of Louisville's stellar frontcourt. "We're trying to work on it, it's just a matter of becoming a habit," said Savage. "You can only run them so much and you can only discipline them so much. Sometime it has to go off in their heads." "We've been fortunate to have 20 plus (turnovers) and win," she said. The Lady Tigers will have to pick their poison tonight between Covington and Taylor or the rest of the team, according to Savage. "You have to decide if you want them to beat you or do you want someone else to beat you," she said. The game starts tonight at 7 p.m. at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse.

01/28/05		Men's Tennis Falls at No. 20 Vanderbilt, 6-1 -- Tigers face No. 25 Tennessee, Saturday, in Knoxville (GoTigersGo.com)
		NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The University of Memphis men's tennis team (1-1) dropped a 6-1 decision at No. 20 Vanderbilt to open the 2005 spring dual season road schedule, Friday afternoon. Junior Alex Jago posted Memphis' lone singles victory, winning 7-6, 7-5 over Ryan Preston at No. 4 singles. Jago and doubles teammate Mark Finnegan also came close to picking up a win in doubles, taking the No. 3 team of Matt Lockin and Jordan Magarik to a 9-8 (7-4) decision. James Spence fell 6-4, 6-2 to Scott Brown at No. 1 singles, while Alex Bucewicz fell 6-2, 7-6 to Lockin. Freshman Bryan Bankester had just split sets when the match was essentially decided, so he and Magarik played a super tiebreaker to wrap up the last singles match. Magarik prevailed in the super tiebreak, 1-0, to claim the 6-3, 6-7, 1-0 victory. Memphis will play at No. 25 Tennessee, Saturday. No. 20 Vanderbilt 6, Memphis 1 Singles No. 1 - Scott Brown def. James Spence (UM), 6-4, 6-2 No. 2 - Matt Lockin def. Alex Bucewicz (UM), 6-2, 7-6 No. 3 --Jason Pinsky def. Mark Finnegan (UM), 6-2, 6-2 No. 4 - Alex Jago (UM) def. Ryan Presotn, 7-6, 7-5 No. 5 - Andy Mack def. Scott Felsenthal (UM), 6-3, 7-5 No. 6 - Jordan Magarik def. Bryan Bankester (UM), 6-3, 6-7, 1-0 Doubles No. 1 - Brown/Pinsky def. Spence/Felsenthal (UM), 8-5 No. 2 - Mack/Preston def. Garrison Pilant/Bucewicz (UM), 8-4 No. 3 - Lockin/Magarik def. Jago/Finnegan (UM), 9-8 (7-4)

01/28/05		U of M Athletics Shares in Black History Month Events -- Former Tiger great Larry Finch to receive a lifetime achievement award on Feb. 1 (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, TENN. - The University of Memphis Athletic Department will take part in two events sponsored by the Black Student Association on Feb. 1 and Feb 2 as part of Black History Month. On Feb. 1, former U of M player and coach, Larry Finch, will receive the Arthur S. Holman Lifetime Achievement award at a reception to be held at 7 p.m. at the Michael D. Rose Theatre on campus. The award was established to honor Memphians whose lives exemplify outstanding dedication in the community, and who are a constant reminder that hard work and dedication are the true keys to success. Finch, who played for the Tigers from 1970-1973, ranks third on the U of M's career scoring list with 1,869 points. He rewrote the record book in the 1972-73 season, claiming nine of 13 individual records. The season ended with the team's trip to the 1973 NCAA championship, where they played the UCLA Bruins. During that tournament, Finch averaged 26.8 points a game, including 29 against the Bruins. In Finch's three seasons as a U of M player, the Tigers compiled a record of 63-21 and either won or tied for two Missouri Valley Conference championships. Finch earned honorable mention All-America honors from both the Associated Press and United Press International and was named to four other All-America teams his senior year. Finch's jersey - number 21 - was retired in 1974; he is one of only eight Tiger players ever honored in that fashion. Finch is the University's all-time winningest coach, compiling a 220-130 record over 11 seasons from 1986 to 1997. He took the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament six times, including a run to the final eight in 1992. In 2000, the U of M named the Tigers' practice facility after the former player and coach. Finch has been involved in the Memphis community, including a run for County Register. The Lifetime Achievement award was established in 1991. It was renamed in 1996 to honor Holmon, who served as associate dean of students for minority affairs for 26 years. On Feb. 2, U of M Athletics will support a "Salute to Student-Athletes" at 12:30 p.m. in the Faulkner Lounge located in the University Center. This will pay a tribute to past athletes and provide an opportunity for former athletes to share life lessons and advice for current student-athletes as well as the student body. There will be a panel discussion leading into a reception, as WMC-TV's Jarvis Greer serves as the moderator. Greer is a former Tiger who lettered for the football team in 1976 and 1977. Serving on the panel will be Ken Moody and Billy Buford who lettered for Tiger Basketball, former Lady Tiger Basketball star Linda Street, former Tiger Baseball alum Andy Cook, current women's track coach Brenda Cash, and assistant athletic director Eddie Cantler.

01/28/05		Lady Tiger Tennis to Open Against C-USA Foe USF -- Memphis hosts USF, Sunday, beginning at noon (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis women's tennis team will open the 2004-05 dual season against conference foe USF (1-0), Sunday, at noon. The Lady Tigers will be led by the trio of senior Marlene Dirnstorfer and juniors Andrea Feichtinger and Kristin Noble. Dirnstorfer is a Third Team All-Conference USA singles player and was an Academic All-District honoree as a junior. Feichtinger and Noble both have seen extensive playing time in the previous two seasons, and will likely play in spots 2 or 3 throughout the singles line-up. Sophomores Alex Tjioe and Christina Wieser each saw a lot of playing time in their first collegiate semesters last spring, and now have an entire year of college tennis under their respective belts to help out in the bottom half of the line-up. Freshman Kathrin Kohl, who won the No. 7 singles title at the Memphis tournament this fall, and Brooke Cowie, who also saw a lot of playing time this fall, will offer some depth throughout the singles and doubles line-up, and each will probably see significant playing time. USF swept Stetson in its season-opener, with sophomore Neyssa Etienne picking up a 6-0, 7-5 win at No. 1 singles after teaming with freshman Courtney Vernon for an 8-2 win at No. 1 doubles. Vernon also picked up a singles victory, netting a 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 2 singles, while Gabriela Duch, Fabiana Taverna, Liz Cruz and Louisa Obando rounded out the remaining singles victories, respectively. Sunday's match will be Memphis' only home match until Feb. 25th, when the Lady Tigers host another C-USA foe as Saint Louis rolls into town. Between now and then, the Lady Tigers will face UT-Chattanooga, Georgia State, Tennessee Tech, Murray State and perennially-ranked UALR, all on the road.

01/28/05		Erwin comes through, helps Tigers put lid on DePaul (Commercial Appeal)
		By Zack McMillin Contact January 28, 2005 Duane Erwin figures he's taken enough abuse in his four years as a college basketball player. From opponents. From teammates. From his coach. So forgive Erwin, the University of Memphis senior forward everyone calls Red, if he seems a tad excited now that he's delivering some punishment of his own. On Thursday night at the FedExForum, the 6-10 forward put together another impressive performance, leading the Tigers to a 68-55 Conference USA victory over DePaul. Going up against DePaul forward Quemont Greer, the league's leading scorer, Erwin gave Memphis 13 points, nine rebounds, one blocked shot and one steal in 36 minutes of work. He also held Greer, who was averaging 21 points per game, to 14 points on 5-of-19 shooting. ''He's all we heard about all week, so I just said, 'I'm fixing to show him what I can do,''' Erwin said. ''I said, 'I'm gonna get him on his heels and go after him.''' Erwin's fellow senior, shooting guard Anthony Rice, hit big free throws down the stretch (he was 8-for-8 at the line for the game) to finish with a game-high 16 points, and the Tigers (11-9, 4-2 Conference USA) also got 11 points apiece from freshman point guard Darius Washington and reserve guard Jeremy Hunt. But it was Erwin who made the biggest difference. From start to finish, Erwin outclassed Greer, who is one of the leading candidates for Conference USA Player of the Year. After Erwin scored the first two points of the game, on a silken 18-foot jumper from the top of the key, he said he told Greer: "We're gonna be going at it all night. Get ready.'' The nadir for Greer came near the end of the game when he turned to shoot and confronted Erwin, hands held high and chest bowed out in a perfect defensive posture. Greer, a 52-percent field-goal shooter coming into the game, put the 12-foot shot over the backboard and off the side of the shot clock. That moment symbolized the frustration DePaul (12-5, 4-2) coach Dave Leitao felt for large portions of the game, with the Tigers controlling almost every segment and gradually building momentum in front of a crowd of 10,250. The Tigers stopped DePaul's four-game winning streak and joined the Blue Demons in a three-way tie for fourth place in the league. Guard Sammy Mejia led the Blue Demons with 15 points, but DePaul finished shooting 39.3 percent from the field, hit only 4-of-17 threes and, most self-destructive, made but 7 of 16 free throws. ''At the beginning and end of the game, we did not compete,'' said Leitao, who did not open the doors to his team's locker room for more than 30 minutes after the game. ''And on the road against good teams, it will cost you.'' The Tigers, after leading by as many as 12 in the first, very nearly squandered what had been one of its better overall performances in 2004-05. DePaul tied the game at 46-46 with 9:36 left on a fast-break layup that came as a result of a bad inbounds play by the Tigers. But over the next four minutes, Memphis's defense did not allow a field goal. A fastbreak layup by Washington -- and the free throw -- followed by a fastbreak layup by Hunt pushed the Tiger lead to 55-47 with 5:45 remaining. ''We played hard,'' said UofM coach John Calipari. ''I thought our guys gave everything they had.'' DePaul still had a chance, but the key play came, again, from Erwin. With the Tigers up, 56-51, he retrieved a rebound off a Washington miss, headed for the basket and earned the foul. His two free throws pushed the lead to 58-51 with 2:27 left, and, with Calipari aggressively encouraging the crowd, the Tigers finished off the Blue Demons. ''This season has been an interesting season,'' Calipari said. ''You all know we could easily be 6-0 in the league, and we're good enough to beat anybody in this league. ''I like my team.'' Because of a breakdown in the final 31/2 minutes of the first half, the Tigers wasted what had been an impressive first 16 minutes of work. By allowing DePaul to score on eight of its final nine possessions of the first half -- and six in a row -- the Tigers held only a 32-31 halftime lead. It had been the defense that helped build a lead, holding DePaul to 3-of-14 shooting and, at one point, without a field goal for more than six minutes. An 11-0 run midway through the half established command, with a 20-8 lead that would stand at 30-20 after the under-four minute media timeout. -- Zack McMillin: 529-2564

01/28/05		U of M Postgame (Commercial Appeal)
		Play of the game With the Tigers leading 56-51, and the shot clock running down, Memphis point guard Darius Washington took an off-balance 3-pointer that just caught the front of the rim. Enter senior forward Duane Erwin, oft-maligned by UofM coach John Calipari for lack of effort, to grab the offensive rebound. Erwin was fouled going for the putback, and he nailed the two free throws to push the lead to 58-51with 2:27 remaining. Stat of the game DePaul will focus most of its regret on one obvious area -- free-throw shooting. DePaul was only 7-of-16 from the line. The Tigers finished 19-29 at the line, but were just 7-13 going into final four minutes. Trends Memphis freshman Joey Dorsey hit double digits in rebounding in four of the first 10 games of the season. But since an 18-rebound effort against Austin Peay on De. 18, the athletic 6-9, 260 Dorsey had not grabbed more than eight in a game. Against DePaul, which features a big, burly cast of front-court players, Dorsey was able to pull down 11 boards to lead the Tigers. "It's great to see Joey Dorsey... where we can throw him in and he goes and gets the ball," Calipari said. Odds and ends UofM senior Arthur Barclay had four field-goal attempts for the game, including three in the first five minutes (he made one). Barclay came into the game 2-of-5 for the season from the field, meaning he was attempting a shot every 26.2 minutes and making one every 65 minutes. With 16 points, UofM senior guard Anthony Rice moved within five points of joining the Tigers 1,000-point club. He would become the 39th member of the club. Junior Rodney Carney, with five points, needs another 25 to hit 1,000 points for his career. It looked like Grizzlies night at the FedExForum. James Posey sat right behind the Tiger bench, and, at the half, Pau Gasol, wearing his protective boot, came by for a long chat. Jerry West was also in attendance. A less recognizable face was that of Calipari's father, Vince, who was as into the game as anyone along the front row. John Higgins, then youngest official on the crew, must've known he'd get the brunt of Calipari's criticisms. Higgins has developed his own solid reputation, but his fellow officials, Ted Hillary and Steve Welmer, have long been two of the most respected officials in the business. Near the end of the first half, it got heated between Higgins and Calipari, first over a whistle Higgins blew against Rice, for holding Drake Diener coming off a screen. Calipari wanted a moving screen, but instead Diener, an 85-percent shooter atthe free-throw line, got a 1-and-1 opportunity. "You just gave them two points!" Calipari yelled. At the end of the half, it was Higgins who waved off a banked-in 3-pointer by Washington. As he walked off the court, Calipari mocked Higgins's wave off. Calipari calmed in the second half, to the point that Hillary, with 7:26 left, said, "John, at least you're talking nice to me. I'm making big strides." At halftime, the UofM athletic department honored the Tiger 3.0 Club, which consists of student athletes who achieved 3.0 GPA or better in the fall semester. The 131 student-athletes in the club set a new school record. What's next The Tigers go to Fort Worth in an odd position -- looking for revenge against TCU, which got a last-second 3-pointer by Corey Santee to hand the Tigers a 61-59 loss on Jan. 15 at FedExForum. It was Memphis's first-ever loss to TCU, which hopes to take advantage of an extra day of rest -- and no travel day -- against the Tigers. The Horned Frogs (13-7, 3-3 Conference USA) lost to Charlotte on Wednesday, 94-87. -- Zack McMillin

01/28/05		Georgia pair will sign with Tigers (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact January 28, 2005 Marietta (Ga.) High teammates Greg Jackson and Traye Simmons, who helped their school to a 11-1 record and a Region 5AAAAA championship, will attempt to continue that success at the same college program. Jackson, a linebacker, and Simmons, a defensive back, are expected to sign National Letters of Intent with the University of Memphis on Wednesday, the first day of the national signing period. Marietta coach James 'Friday' Richards said Thursday that Jackson, who visited the UofM last weekend, and Simmons, scheduled to make an official visit this weekend, will sign with Memphis. The decisions by Jackson and Simmons give the Tigers 13 commitments. Jackson and Simmons had a contact from Marietta High. Former Marietta standout Tristan Thomas was a senior defensive back for the UofM last fall. ''They've got one of my kids already, and they have taken good care of that kid,'' Richards said. ''Once you have taken care of one of my kids, I don't mind sending others up there.'' Simmons will be part of the UofM's final recruiting weekend. Also scheduled to visit are Columbus (Miss.) High tight end Stacy Jones, Jacksonville (Ark.) High linebacker Clinton McDonald and linebacker Chad Beverage from Airline High in Bossier City, La. Richards said Clemson and Georgia offered Simmons earlier during the recruiting period, but backed off when he didn't have a qualifying test score, which he has since gotten. ''Memphis hung with him,'' Richards said. Simmons (5-10, 175), cousin of University of Tennessee quarterback Brent Schaeffer, was named to the Marietta Daily Journal All-County first team and recognized as the Cobb County Touchdown Club Defensive Back of the Year. ''As a junior he had nine interceptions and broke the school record,'' Simmons said. ''He had five interceptions as a senior, and that's when teams were throwing away from him. He can fly, now. He finished third in the state in the 400 meters, and he has run a 4.3 40, and that's with me timing him. They got a great one in him.'' Richards, who also coaches the track team, said Jackson (6-2, 195) broke a school defensive record, too, with 15 sacks last season. Voted his team's MVP, Jackson also was a Marietta Daily Journal All-County first-team selection, and he was named Cobb County's 48-minute Player of the Year for his contributions on offense, defense and special teams. ''He played tight end, defensive end and on every special team,'' Richards said. ''And he sold popcorn, hot dogs and ran the chains.'' Jackson, the Cobb County triple jump champion, also was recruited by GMAC Bowl champion Bowling Green, Boston College and Ohio University, Richards said. ''He was the MVP on this team, and that says a lot because I've got five players that will sign Division 1 scholarships,'' Richards said. ''When he gets up there and starts eating three meals a day, he'll get up to 235 pounds and will be the best outside linebacker Memphis has seen in a while.'' Others set to visit the UofM this weekend include Memphis-area players Brett Toney of Briarcrest Christian, Lucian Godwin of St. Benedict and Clay Presley of Harding, in addition to Northeast (Miss.) Community College's Chris Barnett and Brownsville Haywood's Steven Turner. -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- U of M update Midterm enrollments (3) QB Billy Barefield, 5-10, 165, Shreveport (La.) Evangel Christian P Michael Gibson, 6-2, 190, Itawamba (Miss.) Community College CB Brandon McDonald, 5-11, 180, Jones County (Miss.) Community College Commitments (10) OL Paul Edwards, 6-6, 296, McKenzie (Tenn.) High WR Brandon Hunt, 6-2, 195, Northwest (Miss.) Community College LB Greg Jackson, 6-2, 195, Marietta (Ga.) High DB Bernard Key, 5-11, 175, Montgomery (Ala.) Lanier RB T.J. Pitts, 5-10, 190, Gainesville (Ga.) High LB Jeremy Rockette, 6-3, 200, Olive Branch DB Traye Simmons, 5-10, 175, Marietta (Ga.) High WR Carlos Singleton, 6-7, 185, Brownsville (Tenn.) Haywood WR Alton Starr, 5-10, 168, Atlanta McNair WR Dave Thomas, 5-11, 180, Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Riverdale

01/28/05		Managing a degree -- Former Lady Tiger standout finishing education with team (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact January 28, 2005 Sitting at a courtside table at the Elma Roane Field House, and partially obscured by the players' and coaches' belongings scattered about, is a University of Memphis women's basketball team student manager. She's running the practice clock and operating in relative anonymity. But Keeta Matthews is not the typical student manager. She's not beginning her college career and looking for a way to fund it. Rather, she's trying to finish her college career, one that began in the early 1990s on the other side of the scorer's table. Matthews, 30, is back in school, nine years after finishing her Lady Tiger basketball career as the program's No. 3 scoring leader. She enrolled at the UofM earlier this month and accepted an offer from first-year UofM coach Blair Savage to be a student manager. Matthews needs 24 hours to get her degree in interdisciplinary studies. She's taking 15 hours this spring and hopes take the final nine hours in the summer. As a student manager, her books and tuition are covered. ''This is something I should have done a long time ago,'' Matthews said. ''I should have finished up a long time ago. I talked to coach Savage one day, and she gave me that extra boost to go back to school. And then she said, 'Would you be interested in helping out with the team?''' Matthews scored 2,133 points from 1992-96. That total was topped shortly after she completed her eligibility by former teammates Tamika Whitmore and LaTonya Johnson. But Matthews, an ex-Mitchell High standout, remains fifth on the career scoring list and is one of only seven Lady Tigers to surpass 2,000 points. As a student manager, Matthews will be responsible for not only for running the practice clock, but several aspects of the team's pre-game preparations, including editing opponents' video. She also tapes Lady Tiger home games for the coaching staff to review. Savage said bringing Matthews back into the Lady Tiger family was a natural move. ''I think Keeta is a quality individual,'' Savage said. ''Sometimes when we're young we don't realize the importance of getting an education. Now she realizes she wants to work with kids and help them. She is great with kids. ''When she gets her degree, she can go teach. She wants to stay at the high school level and teach. And what a great role model she'll be. You hear people talk about the importance of an education. She didn't get a degree the first time, but she went back.'' Matthews has been busy since ending her UofM playing career. She briefly attempted to play pro basketball in Greece, but returned after a month. In Memphis, she has worked to help rehabilitate young juveniles and, for several years, she had custody of two of her pre-teen cousins. Eventually, she'd like to teach at the middle school or high school level. ''I love being around kids, but I don't know if I'd have the patience to teach elementary school kids,'' she said. While at the UofM in the early 1990s, Matthews was former coach Joye Lee-McNelis's first heralded Memphis recruit. Matthews helped fuel a resurgence in the program, leading the Lady Tigers to NCAA berths in 1995 and '96. She was a first-team Great Midwest Conference selection in 1993, '94 and '95, and when the UofM moved to Conference USA for the 1995-96 season, Matthews earned second-team honors. She helped the Lady Tigers beat DePaul in the inaugural C-USA title game by being named MVP. ''During that time in my life when I was playing basketball, that was the prime of my life,'' Matthews said. ''There was nothing I wanted to do more.'' She said last week, on the first day she attended practice as a student manager, she grabbed a basketball and took some shots on Field House goals. ''It brought back some memories to be on that floor,'' she said. ''It was probably only the third or fourth time since I stopped playing that I've done that.'' Savage said Matthews came to her office in September and asked if there were any openings on her staff. ''I said I didn't, and that I had a full staff, but we caught up on things and one thing led to another,'' Savage said. ''She and I met with (director of athletic academic services) Dr. (Joe) Luckey, and he had all her records and knew what she needed to take to finish in the spring and summer. All she had to do to get back in school was pay some parking tickets.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

01/28/05		Tiger Notes (basketball, tennis football, baseball) (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact January 28, 2005 Impact player stops in before Big East If there is a consolation to the University of Louisville leaving Conference USA after this season, it's that its women's basketball team will be taking sophomore Jazz Covington with it to the Big East Conference. When the Lady Tigers (10-9, 3-3 in C-USA) host Louisville (13-5, 4-1) at 7 tonight at the Elma Roane Field House, stopping Covington will be a priority for the Lady Tigers. Covington has a 21.8 scoring average in conference games and is coming off a league player-of-the-week award. In wins over C-USA leaders TCU and Houston, Covington had 34 points. She scored 22 points in a 63-57 win over TCU. Lady Tiger coach Blair Savage said while stopping Covington will be a challenge, she said she's also concerned about 6-3 forward Missy Taylor, a Purdue transfer. "She's the other post player and faces the basket and shoots the three(-pointer) as well as their guards," Savage said. "She's hard to defend." The Louisville game is the first of two C-USA contests this weekend. Memphis hosts Cincinnati Sunday. Rough road ahead The UofM men's tennis team, which opened its season with a victory over Rhodes last weekend, will meet more than its match this weekend. The Tigers play at 20th-ranked Vanderbilt at 2 p.m. today and travel to No. 25 Tennessee at 1 p.m. Saturday. First-year coach Paul Goebel, an assistant UofM coach last year, said he was responsible for the schedule. "It's extremely rare (to be playing back-to-back top 25 opponents), but I also don't think it's going to be the only time it happens this year," Goebel said. Goebel said if the Tigers want to compete for an NCAA Tournament berth, playing a schedule with nationally ranked opponents is a must. "Strength of schedule is a huge determining factor," Goebel said. "You have to beat ranked teams, or at least play them, to have a chance." Goebel also has a match with sixth-ranked Ole Miss on his schedule in early March. "This is the kind of schedule you need to play if you want to be a top 40 team," Goebel said. On the road again Tiger All-America running back DeAngelo Williams, the two-time Conference USA offensive player of the year, will continue a busy offseason schedule next week. Williams, a junior from Wynne, Ark., will attend the Touchdown Club of Columbus (Ohio)'s 50th Annual Awards Banquet. He will be recognized as a player to watch in 2005. Williams announced this month that he would be returning for his senior season and bypassing an opportunity to enter the NFL Draft. Williams led C-USA -- and ranked second nationally -- with 1,948 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns. He averaged a league-best 162.3 yards per game. Williams was in Los Angeles earlier this month to appear as a finalist for the Coach Wooden Cup. Baseball adds arms Tiger baseball coach Daron Schoenrock said two pitchers, righthander Drew Jaudon and lefthander Chris Davis, have transferred to the UofM. Jaudon, a native of New Hope, Miss., played the past two seasons at Itawamba (Miss.) Community College and spent last fall at Mississippi State, where he unsuccessfully attempted to walk on. Jaudon went 17-8 in two seasons at Itawamba. Davis played sparingly the past two seasons at the University of Maryland. Tiger assistant Greg Olsen is a former Maryland assistant. Briefly The third WLMT/U of M auction will be held 5-7 p.m. Sunday. Among the items to be auctioned will be framed jerseys of former Tiger standouts Isaac Bruce (football) and Penny Hardaway (basketball). WLMT-TV (30) will carry the auction live. ... A record 131 student-athletes were named to the Tiger 3.0 Club (for student-athletes with GPAs of 3.0 or higher) for the fall 2004 semester. Four student-athletes, including two on the women's basketball team, had 4.0s ... The football team is tentatively scheduled to open spring practice March 15 and conclude April 9 with the annual spring scrimmage. Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium will not be available as the field undergoes a change from natural grass to an artificial surface.

01/28/05		Five questions with Heather Watts, senior volleyball player (Commercial Appeal)
		Q: There has not been a more decorated volleyball player in the program's history. You received 14 honors or awards, including the 2004 ESPN The Magazine Academic all-America award and an AVCA honorable mention all-America. Were you overwhelmed by the recognition? A: Yes, it was very overwhelming, but it was exciting at the same time. The last ones meant the most. I received honorable mention AVCA All-America honors and made the academic all-America team. Those meant the most because they came toward the end of my career. Q: What about the next phase of your career? Now that volleyball has ended, what's next for Heather Watts? A: I'm taking prerequisite courses to get into physical therapy school. I've applied to physical therapy school at the University of Utah and UT-Memphis. Utah is my first choice because that's where I'm from. But I don't mind staying here, either. I'm hoping to know something in the next three or four weeks about Utah. Q: You left your home in Sandy, Utah, to play volleyball at the University of Memphis. What was the attraction? A: I wanted to get away from home and experience life on my own. I hadn't heard much about Memphis when they first contacted me, but then I started doing research. It seemed promising. Q: In your final two seasons, the U of M played in the Conference USA finals in 2003 and the semifinals in 2004? How significant an accomplishment was that for a team that went 4-9 in C-USA play in 2002? A: Very significant. Ever since I stepped foot in here it was my goal to get into the conference championship game and, ultimately, into the NCAA Tournament. Q: If you could be NCAA president for a day, how would you boost volleyball's exposure? A: I would probably get (the sport) more national TV time, or local TV time. A lot of people don't even know volleyball is around. It's a fun sport to watch at the competitive level. -- Phil Stukenborg

01/28/05		Tigers break Blue Demons winning-streak (Daily Helmsman)
		The Associated Press January 28, 2005 Anthony Rice scored 16 points and Duane Erwin added 13 points and nine rebounds Thursday night to lead Memphis to a 68-55 victory over DePaul. Memphis (11-9, 4-2 Conference USA) didn't hit a field goal in the final 5:45 but connected on 13 of 19 free throws as DePaul was outscored 22-8 after holding a one-point lead with 8:38 remaining. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Blue Demons (12-5, 4-2). Jeremy Hunt and Darius Washington scored 11 each for Memphis, with Washington dishing out seven assists. Sammy Mejia led DePaul with 15 points and eight rebounds, while Quemont Greer had 14 points but hit only five of 19 shots from the field. Drake Diener finished with 12 points for DePaul. Memphis squandered a 12-point lead in the first half, but held on for a 32-31 advantage at the break. Erwin registered 10 points, hitting 5 of his 7 shots, part of Memphis shooting 52 percent for the half. DePaul was able to whittle into the Tiger lead with an 11-2 run in the final 3:22 of the half, including making all four of their shots from the field down the stretch. Mejia led the Blue Demons with 11 points. Greer, the conference's leading scorer, was limited to seven points while missing seven of his 10 first-half shots. The teams traded leads in the early stages of the second half, neither team holding more than a three-point lead. At one point midway through the second half, both teams went almost five minutes without scoring. Some of that was due to tough defense on both sides, causing turnovers and tough shots. Memphis erased a 47-46 DePaul advantage with nine unanswered points, to take a 55-48 lead with 5:45 to play when Hunt scored on a layup, the Tigers' last field goal of the game.

01/27/05		Memphis Defeats Depaul -- Tigers improve to 4-2 in Conference-USA play (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Anthony Rice scored 16 points and Duane Erwin added 13 points and nine rebounds Thursday night to lead Memphis to a 68-55 victory over DePaul. Memphis (11-9, 4-2 Conference USA) didn't hit a field goal in the final 5:45 but connected on 13 of 19 free throws as DePaul was outscored 22-8 after holding a one-point lead with 8:38 remaining. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Blue Demons (12-5, 4-2). Jeremy Hunt and Darius Washington scored 11 each for Memphis, with Washington dishing out seven assists. Sammy Mejia led DePaul with 15 points and eight rebounds, while Quemont Greer had 14 points but hit only five of 19 shots from the field. Drake Diener finished with 12 points for DePaul. Memphis squandered a 12-point lead in the first half, but held on for a 32-31 advantage at the break. Erwin registered 10 points, hitting 5 of his 7 shots, part of Memphis shooting 52 percent for the half. DePaul was able to whittle into the Tiger lead with an 11-2 run in the final 3:22 of the half, including making all four of their shots from the field down the stretch. Mejia led the Blue Demons with 11 points. Greer, the conference's leading scorer, was limited to seven points while missing seven of his 10 first-half shots. The teams traded leads in the early stages of the second half, neither team holding more than a three-point lead. At one point midway through the second half, both teams went almost five minutes without scoring. Some of that was due to tough defense on both sides, causing turnovers and tough shots. Memphis erased a 47-46 DePaul advantage with nine unanswered points, to take a 55-48 lead with 5:45 to play when Hunt scored on a layup, the Tigers' last field goal of the game.

01/27/05		Memphis Postgame Quotes -- Memphis 68, DePaul 55 (GoTigersGo.com)
		Memphis Head Coach John Calipari "We played hard. I thought our guys gave everything they had. If you come every day and try to dominate, that's what you are and you know it, even if you start slow it doesn't bother you. I keep telling them they have to build that (attitude) in practice and be willing to do it and that's why we played better." "They (TCU) beat us here so we know and understand what they do, and how they're going to play and what we need to do. We know now that if we don't go and play, they could beat us. This season has been an interesting season. We could easily be 6-0 (in conference play) right now. We're good enough to play with anybody in this league. There are two or three teams that are really good in this league, but I like my team." "Our goals haven't changed. Our goals are to win this league and the conference tournament and get into the NCAA Tournament and advance. We're only a game out of first place." DePaul Head Coach Dave Leitao "We were getting manhandled underneath on rebounds and postups, and that was why we were trying different combinations -- to see if anybody could stem the tide. When you are on the road, a lot of your success depends on how you come to compete. The last two minutes of the first half and the first few minutes of the second half we did compete. At the beginning and end of the game we did not compete, and on the road against good teams, it will cost you. Memphis made more positive plays tonight than they had lately from the film I watched."

01/27/05		Memphis Basketball Boxscore -- Memphis 68, DePaul 55 (GoTigersGo.com)
		Official Basketball Box Score -- GAME TOTALS -- FINAL STATISTICS DePaul vs MEMPHIS 01/27/05 8:00 pm at Memphis, Tenn. (FedExForum) --------------------------------------------------- VISITORS: DePaul 12-5 (4-2) TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS ## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 44 BRUMFIELD, Marlon... f 1-3 0-0 0-1 1 3 4 3 2 0 1 1 0 22 45 GREER, Quemont...... f 5-19 2-7 2-6 0 3 3 3 14 2 2 0 3 35 03 SEALS, LeVar........ g 4-7 0-1 0-0 1 1 2 5 8 2 0 1 2 21 11 MEJIA, Sammy........ g 6-14 0-3 3-6 4 4 8 1 15 5 1 0 2 37 33 DIENER, Drake....... g 4-7 2-4 2-2 2 1 3 4 12 1 2 0 0 36 02 BURNS, Draelon...... 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 6 12 CLINKSCALES, Cliff.. 1-3 0-2 0-0 0 1 1 0 2 3 1 0 1 19 15 NICHOLS, Jamal...... 1-1 0-0 0-1 1 2 3 3 2 0 0 2 0 13 21 HEARD, Marcus....... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 5 32 THOMPSON, Lorenzo... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 6 TEAM................ 4 3 7 1 Totals.............. 22-56 4-17 7-16 13 20 33 24 55 13 12 4 8 200 TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 12-29 41.4% 2nd Half: 10-27 37.0% Game: 39.3% DEADB 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-10 20.0% 2nd Half: 2-7 28.6% Game: 23.5% REBS F Throw % 1st Half: 5-7 71.4% 2nd Half: 2-9 22.2% Game: 43.8% 3,1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOME TEAM: MEMPHIS 11-9 (4-2) TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS ## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 10 Carney, Rodney...... f 2-7 1-4 0-2 0 3 3 0 5 1 2 0 2 21 11 Erwin, Duane........ f 5-7 0-0 3-4 1 8 9 4 13 1 2 1 1 36 55 Barclay, Arthur..... f 1-4 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 3 2 1 0 0 0 17 23 Rice, Anthony....... g 3-7 2-5 8-8 1 2 3 2 16 0 3 0 2 32 35 WASHINGTON, Darius.. g 4-9 1-3 2-3 1 4 5 3 11 7 3 0 2 38 01 Williams, Waki...... 1-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 3 05 Hunt, Jeremy........ 3-7 1-2 4-5 1 1 2 2 11 1 0 0 2 29 14 Njoya, Simplice..... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 15 Dorsey, Joey........ 3-3 0-0 2-7 4 7 11 2 8 2 1 3 0 22 TEAM................ 2 2 Totals.............. 22-46 5-14 19-29 9 27 36 16 68 13 11 5 9 200 TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 15-29 51.7% 2nd Half: 7-17 41.2% Game: 47.8% DEADB 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 1-7 14.3% 2nd Half: 4-7 57.1% Game: 35.7% REBS F Throw % 1st Half: 1-4 25.0% 2nd Half: 18-25 72.0% Game: 65.5% 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Officials: Steve Welmer, Ted Hillary, John Higgins Technical fouls: DePaul-None. MEMPHIS-None. Attendance: 10250 Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total DePaul........................ 31 24 - 55 MEMPHIS....................... 32 36 - 68

01/27/05		Women's Basketball Returns Home for Two C-USA Match-Ups -- Lady Tigers host Louisville, Friday at 7 p.m. and Cincinnati, Sunday at 2 p.m. (GoTigersGo.com)
		Wear a Jersey, Get in Free! Lady Tiger fans wearing a jersey to Friday night's game will receive free admission for the game, which begins at 7 p.m. Taking on the Giant Killers Louisville played the role of giant killers in Kentucky last weekend. The Cardinals ended TCU's five-game winning streak with a 63-57 win over the Horned Frogs, then ended Houston's six-game winning streak and handed the Cougars their first league loss of the year with a 50-49 victory. The Cardinals are now 13-5 overall and 4-1 in C-USA and have won four straight games. Like Memphis, the Cardinals split the UAB/USF road trip, winning at UAB, then falling to USF, 67-59, in their C-USA opener. Louisville is 3-3 on the road this year and 3-2 in neutral venues. Sophomore Jazz Covington, the C-US A player of the week last week, leads UL with 18 points and is second with 7.4 rebounds per game. Covington leads UL with 25 steals. Missy Taylor leads the rebounders with 7.7 boards a game, adding 14.6 points to present a double-threat in the post. The duo is two of four 6-3 Cardinals the Lady Tigers will have to deal with Friday night. Junior guard Jessica Huggins keeps the offense moving, leading the team with 78 assists and second with 24 steals. Huggins does a good job taking care of the ball with 40 turnovers against the 78 assists. Huggins will still take shots in the offense, averaging 7.5 points per game. A Second Live Television Apperance Memphis will host Cincinnati in the Lady Tigers' second live television appearance of the season (the team's Friday night game will air on a tape-delayed basis on the 29th on Time Warner channel 6 in Memphis). The game will be carried live on WLMT in Memphis, and is also available on College Sports TV (check local listings to see if it is live or delayed in your area). In Memphis, CSTV is available on Time Warner Channel 649 and nationally on DirecTV 610. In St. Louis, the game will air live on Charter Channel 21 and in New Orleans, it will air on Cox Sports Television live. It will also air in Greensboro, N.C. and Roanoke, Virginia, on WGSR-Star 39 live. Fans in Chicago can check the Comcast SportsNet Chicago schedule to see if the game will be carried live or ona tape-delayed basis, as can fans on Fox Sports Net Ohio. Fans in Albuquerque, N.M., can also check the programming on WKTV TV-38 to see if the game will air live or tape-delayed. Need First Half Scorers In Memphis' nine losses so far this year, the Lady Tigers are being outscored 320-251 in the first 20 minutes of the game. In the 10 games they've won, Memphis has outscored the opposition 318-269. Butler Struggling From the Floor Junior point guard Tamika Butler has struggled in the last four games, shooting just 4-for-28 from the floor. Butler has not scored more than one field goal in a game since the Charlotte contest, where she was 5-for-14. Here Comes Gooch Sophomore Megan Gooch has come on as of late, playing a season-high 29 minutes against USFas she appears to be getting more confidence in the offense. Against USF, she attempted eight field goals, hitting three, and added seven rebounds, tying a season-high. After struggling with confidence with the ball as a freshman, Gooch has shot 41.5 percent from the field over the last three games. Home Sweet Home Memphis is 8-1 in the Elma Roane Fieldhouse so far this season (the only loss was a 59-53 loss to Arkansas), but the Lady Tigers are 2-8 away from the Fieldhouse. Hall takes charge Freshman Jessica Hall has taken a charge in each of the last two games heading into the Louisville contest. The freshman from Tallahassee has stepped up her defensive presence, and has hit a three in three of the last four games on the offensive end. Necaise working way back to line After going for nine games with no free-throw attempts, sophomore Devin Necaise has made the most of some trips to the charity stripe. Necaise was 6-of-6 from the line against Southern Miss and 2-for-2 at UAB. She was also 1-for-1 at USF and has now hit nine straight free-throws (hopefully that doesn't jinx her). Necaise hit her 300th career point against Southern Miss at the free-throw line. Booker rounding back into shape After suffering a knee injury before the Oklahoma State game, Latrice Booker has apparently gotten comfortable back on the floor. The junior center has a rebound in all but one of the games that she has played in and has averaged 5.0 points over the last three games off the bench. Rogers hits roadblock After scoring in every game her junior season, senior Raven Rogers has now been held scoreless in four games this year, including at USF. Memphis is 2-2 when Rogers does not score (beating UT-Martin and Southern Miss and falling to Nebraska and USF). Lady Tigers more reliable from the free-throw line After struggling at the line early in the season, Memphis has stepped it up at the stripe in the last six games (C-USA games). Memphis has hit 100 of 137 attempts (73.0) since starting C-USA play. Forty rebounds When Memphis corrals at least 40 rebounds in a game, the Lady Tigers are 4-2. The two losses were to Western Kentucky and Arkansas. Double digit free-throws In five games this year, Memphis has hit fewer than 10 free-throws in the game. In that stretch, the Lady Tigers are 1-4, which included both games in Mexico, the Radford game and the ECU loss to start the C-USA season. Stop! Thief! Jennifer Sullivan needs 5 more steals to get her 100th career steal. She would join teammate Raven Rogers in the 100 steal club. Rogers now has 107 swipes in her career, while senior teammate Victoria Crawford has 139 career steals. With that senior threesome leading the defense, it comes as no surprise that Memphis ranks sixth in C-USA with 9.26 steals per game heading into the Louisville game. Rogers moves within 20 of career top 15 in rebounding Senior Raven Rogers is now just 20 rebounds shy of surpassing former teammate Shannon Hamp (1999-2003) for 15th place on the career rebounding list. Hamp is currently 15th with 567 career rebounds, while Rogers is now at 547 for her career. Rogers is 53 rebounds shy of joining the 600 rebound club, something only 14 other Lady Tigers have ever accomplished.

01/27/05		Tiger Tennis Takes on Two Top 25 Teams This Weekend -- Faces No. 20 Vanderbilt in Nashville, Friday, at plays at No. 25 Tennessee, Saturday (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis men's tennis team (1-0) will start its 2005 road schedule with a pair of contests at nationally-ranked opponents, beginning at No. 20 Vanderbilt, Friday, at 2 p.m. Memphis will follow that match up with a Saturday match at No. 25 Tennessee, beginning at 1 p.m. "The guys have been practicing hard," Head Coach Paul Goebel said. "Probably harder than they've ever practiced before. And we'll need it. In order to get into the NCAA tournament for tennis, this is the kind of schedule you have to play." Memphis will then continue its road trip in Tulsa, Oklahoma, next weekend, facing Oral Roberts, Oklahoma State and nationally-ranked Tulsa. The tough matches on the road are something that are commonplace for Memphis men's tennis. "We would love to get ranked teams to come play us here," Goebel said. "But our conference is one of the few that does not have league play, so while everyone else is playing their schedule against teams from within their own conference, they're not going to come up here just for one match against us. So we have to go face them there or try to set up some matches at home that feature multiple teams playing two or three matches over a weekend. That's why I'm trying to set up for next year." The Tiger tennis team will play its next home match Feb. 11th against Tennessee Tech.

01/27/05		Calipari says team showing good signs -- Blue Demons arrive with momentum (Commercial Appeal)
		By Zack McMillin Contact January 27, 2005 ''Impossible is nothing.'' The large banner hangs from high above, and all it lacks is a doctored picture of a rockclimber hanging by his fingernails to qualify as one of those ''Successories.'' Only, this is not an office. It's on a wall at the Finch Center, the University of Memphis basketball team's practice facility. For this Tiger team, more than any other in the five seasons of John Calipari, that message resonates. Going into tonight's Conference USA game with DePaul (12-4 overall, 4-1 C-USA), there is much to suggest that the Tigers once-plausible goals -- win the league, go to the NCAA Tournament, advance to the Sweet 16 -- now seem like fantasies. They are 10-9 overall, 3-2 in Conference USA, with an RPI of 158 and home losses to the likes of Louisiana Tech and TCU. Their most talented player, sophomore Sean Banks, is no longer with the team because of academic troubles. ESPN2's presence in town means that a national audience will get another rehash of the controversy surrounding Jeremy Hunt, the junior charged with simple assault in an incident with his ex-girlfriend earlier this month. For Tiger fans who already see as lost a once-promising campaign -- Memphis began the year ranked in the Top 25 -- even qualifying for the NIT might seem undesirable. And yet, at Wednesday's lively practice, the Tigers seemed to be putting their faith in that slogan. Calipari didn't say the words, ''Impossible is nothing,'' but it sure sounded like it when he talked about the remainder of the season. ''I don't know all these numbers,'' Calipari said. ''All I know is, the team is getting better. We still have the same goals we had at the beginning of the year -- win the league, win the league tournament, get to the NCAA Tournament. None of that's changed. ''We've had some obstacles along the way we've had to deal with.'' Even with the turmoil that has characterized 2005 -- don't forget the Banks-Arthur Barclay fight -- the Tigers see the last six games not as adversity but as evidence that good things are in their future. The last six games have yielded three wins and three losses, but the Tigers had a chance to win all of them -- and feel they should have a six-game winning streak. In each of Calipari's four seasons, the Tigers have produced winning streaks of eight games or more: eight games in 2000-01, 10 in 2001-02, 12 in 2002-03 and 11 games last season. So the questions beg: Were the first six games of 2005 a missed opportunity, and was that the moment for this team to get on a roll? Or, is it a sign of things to come? After all, the winning streak last season did not begin until Jan. 17, and, in '03, it started on Feb. 1. ''The funny thing about it, the games we have lost (in January), it's been our own fault,'' said senior forward Duane Erwin. ''From stupid turnovers or not switching to an open shooter. And when we watch the tape and realize that, we're like, 'We could be undefeated in this conference if we just didn't make boneheaded mistakes. ''So once we figure that out, we can get on a winning streak.'' Calipari said the difference between winning and losing in those three January losses -- at Texas, home to TCU and at UAB on Saturday -- had to do with an inability to execute and make the crucial play in the final few minutes. Tonight, the Tigers face a DePaul team with real momentum. Since losing to Cincinnati by 29 on Jan. 6, the Blue Demons have won four straight, though only one of those -- at Tulane -- came on the road. Featuring a big lineup and the league's leading scorer in Quemont Greer, DePaul has won seven of its last eight. Erwin said the Tigers are hungry for the challenge. ''We know we can do it, we know we can turn it on now,'' Erwin said. ''We just need to play smarter basketball, the way we played in the past when we got on those winning streaks. ''(Tonight) will prove if we can do it or not.'' -- Zack McMillin: 529-2564 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Streaking Tigers Before this season, each of the John Calipari's U of M teams has enjoyed a winning streak of at least eight games. Here are the Tigers' best streaks in each season: 2000-01: 8 2001-02: 10 2002-03: 12 2003-04: 11 2004-05: 3

01/27/05		Tigers vs. Depaul (Commercial Appeal)
		Tigers vs. depaul FedExForum, 8:05 p.m. TV, radio: ESPN2, WMC-AM (790), WKBQ-FM (93.5). Records: DePaul 12-4 (4-1 Conference USA), Tigers 10-9 (3-2). Series standing: Tigers lead, 13-12. Latest line: Tigers by 31/2 . Notables The Grizzlies have informed the UofM that only select Tiger fans will be allowed to enter FedExForum more than an hour before the five home games remaining on the schedule. The exception involves Tiger Club members with their FedExForum Hospitality Cards. According to UofM associate athletic director Bill Lansden, the Grizzlies cited financial reasons for reverting to the one-hour rule for allowing entrance to the taxpayer-funded arena. ... UofM coach John Calipari said sophomore Sean Banks, who is ineligible for the second semester because of academics, is still in New Jersey, though Calipari is hopeful Banks will relocate to Houston, where he would work with John Lucas, a former NBA guard and coach who helps prepare players for predraft camps. Calipari said Banks could take classes at a local college or junior college and gain the credits he would need to be eligible at Memphis next year, should he choose to return. ... A special edition magazine produced by Street & Smith's, ranking college basketball's Top 100 programs, placed the Tigers at No. 61. The magazine was released on Jan. 25. Among the factors included: all-time winning percentage, NCAA Tournament resume, Final Fours, conference titles, graduation rates and mascot ferocity. The Tigers were the sixth Conference USA school on the list, trailing far behind Louisville (No.7), Cincinnati (No. 10), Marquette (No. 33), Houston (No. 37) and DePaul (No. 57). Charlotte was the only other C-USA school, coming in at No. 88. Scouting the Tigers Though DePaul ranks fourth in the league in total defense, allowing only 63.5 points per game, the Blue Demons are 10th in the league in field-goal percentage defense and ninth in three-point defense. Perhaps that will help this struggling Tiger offense. Going into the 20th game of the season, the Tigers are shooting 40.1 percent as a team; if that continues, it would be the worst-shooting Tiger team since the 1969-70 squad, in Moe Iba's final season, managed a paltry .390 shooting percentage. The Tigers, at 68.7 points per game, are also threatening to become only the second team since the 1981 to average fewer than 70 points per game. In Larry Finch's final season as coach, in 1996-97,the Tigers averaged only 63.0 points per game. The Tigers have been a little better in five conference games, with a .422 shooting percentage. Scouting the Blue Demons Big. Fast. Athletic. Skilled. The Blue Demons bring a four-game winning streak to Memphis, and coach Dave Leitao said his team is maturing and building confidence at the right time. The biggest recent development has been the emergence of sophomore guard Sammy Mejia. Playing at point and at shooting guard against Marquette last week, Mejia torched the Eagles for 26 points and also had six rebounds, five assists and two steals. He followed that effort with 19 points against East Carolina. Key matchup: Memphis Big Men vs. DePaul Big Men Both teams are accustomed to winning the battle of the boards, and that's likely where this game will be decided. DePaul relies on widebodies like starters Marlon Brumfield (6-9, 260) and Quemont Greer (6-7, 240) and reserves Jamal Nichols (6-9, 245) and Lorenzo Thompson (6-8, 260). Tiger senior Duane Erwin has averaged nearly eight boards the last four games, and the Tigers welcome back senior forward Arthur Barclay (6-8, 255), who was suspended for a game for punching an opponent. But the key may be Memphis getting help from wing players like Rodney Carney and Anthony Rice. -- Zack McMillin

01/27/05		Halting the three-time C-USA Player (Daily Helmsman)
		Tim Miller Staff Reporter January 27, 2005 Coming off a tough road loss to a stingy UAB squad, the Tigers return home tonight to face the high-powered offense of DePaul. The Blue Demons (12-4, 4-1 C-USA) have won seven of their last eight games, including a win over then #25 Marquette and feature the conference's leading scorer in Quemont Greer at 21.0 PPG. The Tigers will stick with their big man rotation of Duane Erwin, Joey Dorsey, and Arthur Barclay to match-up against Greer. "We can just try to contain him (Greer)," Erwin said. "When you've got the ultimate green light, he's going to get his points." Greer is not the only Blue Demon capable of putting up big numbers night in and night out. Guard Sammy Mejia has averaged 20 points in his last three games. "We won't zone in on one player," Erwin said. "They are a team of scorers. Anyone can score 20 on any given night." DePaul ranks third in the conference in field goal percentage, with Greer shooting 52.1 percent from the field and Mejia shooting 48.6 percent. Offensively, the Tigers plan on doing what they've done all season. "If we stick to our plays, we'll be fine," Erwin said. If The U of M wants to come away with a win tonight, they will need freshman point guard Darius Washington, Jr. to continue his new found role as a scoring threat. Washington has led the team in their last two games with 20 points at USF and 26 points at UAB. "I'm not looking to score," Washington said. "My opportunities are just there." Washington has been focused on developing in coach Calipari's system and doing what he can to quarterback the team. "I'm listening to coach Cal to learn how to lead first," Washington said. "He shows me and teaches me how to lead. He's like a big brother on the court." Despite The U of M's record (10-9, 3-2 C-USA), Calipari does not feel the pressure for tonight's ga