Mar 18, 2007, 15:35 GMT
New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Arena is the site of today's NCAA Tournament second round showdown featuring the seventh-seeded Nevada Wolf Pack and the second-seeded Memphis Tigers. The winner of this South Regional matchup will advance to face Texas A&M in the Sweet 16.
Nevada earned its spot in today's game by outlasting 10th-seeded Creighton, 77-71, in overtime in the first round on Friday. The victory is the team's 29th on the year, setting a new school recording for most wins in a single season. The Wolf Pack has also won its first round game in the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last five years and in the process improved to 4-5 all-time in this event.
As for Memphis, it had a much easier time in its first round game, posting a 73-58 triumph over 15th-seeded North Texas on Friday. It is the 23rd victory in a row by the Tigers, marking the longest winning streak in the nation. The win also improved Memphis to 23-19 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, where it has advanced to the second round of the second year in a row.
Today's game marks the first-ever meeting between Nevada and Memphis on the hardwood.
Marcelus Kemp scored nine of his game-high 27 points in overtime, lifting Nevada to a six-point win over Creighton on Friday. Kemp finished the game 9- of-20 from the floor with 12 rebounds. Nick Fazekas, who fouled out in overtime, also posted a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Ramon Sessions added 16 points for Nevada, which dominated the boards 48-31. On the season, the Wolf Pack is outrebounding its opponents by a solid 7.0 rpg. That however, isn't the team's only strength, as Nevada is averaging a healthy 77.9 ppg on 48.7 percent shooting from the floor and an equally as good 41.2 percent from long range. Fazekas, the MWC Player of the Year, is averaging team-highs of 20.4 ppg and 11.2 rpg on the season, and he also leads the nation in double-doubles with 21. Kemp has provided a nice complement to him with 18.5 ppg and 4.6 rpg, while Sessions adds 12.6 ppg and a team-best 4.7 apg to the mix.
The Tigers did it with defense on Friday, as they forced 19 turnovers and held North Texas to a dismal 35.8 percent shooting effort from the field in a 15- point win. Memphis also won the battle on the boards, 45-34, including a 20-11 edge on the offensive glass. Chris Douglas-Roberts led the way with 16 points and five boards, while Andre Allen and Robert Dozier added 14 and 11 points, respectively. On the season, Douglas-Roberts leads the squad in scoring with 15.4 ppg and he is connecting on 54.4 percent of his attempts from the field. Jeremy Hunt, who scored nine points on Friday, is next with 13.5 ppg, while Dozier contributes 9.9 ppg and 6.1 rpg. Overall, the Tigers are averaging a hardy 79.4 ppg, in addition to holding their opponents to a mere 38.5 percent shooting from the field.
© 2007 The Sports Network
View blog reactions
There are currently no comments for this article. Be the first to comment! (no registration required)
Advertising
There are currently no comments for this article. Be the first to comment! (no registration required)