Memphis Seeks Redemption in Today's Tilt with Ole Miss

Memphis seeks redemption in today''s tilt with Ole Miss

LAST UPDATE: 12/9/2006 11:40:47 AM

Fresh off a rather lopsided loss to an intra-state rival, the 16th-ranked Memphis Tigers will attempt to get back on track by knocking off the Ole Miss Rebels in a non-league clash.

,Ole Miss has been idle since November 30th when it posted an 85-77 decision over New Orleans. That win was the third in a row for the Rebels, who suffered their only loss to national powerhouse UConn on the road. They have yet to post a quality win, but that would certainly change if they can find a way to knock off Memphis.

The Tigers got off to a bad start against Tennessee on Wednesday and couldn''t recover in what turned out to be a 76-58 loss to the Vols on the road. That defeat snapped a four-game winning streak for the Tigers, and the 58 points that they scored marked a season low by a wide margin. On a positive note, they do carry a perfect 4-0 home record into this afternoon''s tilt.

Memphis holds a 26-11 advantage in the all-time series with Ole Miss, including a 72-49 romp over the Rebels in last season''s meeting.

Bam Doyne has emerged as a big-time scorer for Ole Miss, as he is posting 17.9 ppg to go along with 7.6 rpg. Clarence Sanders adds 15.0 ppg to the lineup, and Todd Abernethy provides some balance with his 10.4 ppg. Even more impressive than his scoring ability is the fact that Abernethy has racked up 31 assists against only seven turnovers. In the win for the Rebels over New Orleans last week, a 65.2 percent shooting effort from the floor and a 15- of-19 showing from the foul line over the final 20 minutes proved to be the difference. Doyne and Jeremy Parnell tallied 16 points apiece in the triumph, while Kenny Williams and Eniel Polynice contributed 15 points each. Abernethy and Sanders combined to hit only two shots from the floor, and it is surprising that Ole Miss was able to overcome their ineffectiveness.

Memphis shot 9-of-40 from the floor in the first half against Tennessee and trailed by 21 points at intermission. The Tigers finished the game 5-of-28 from three-point range and 9-of-18 from the foul line in what was a poor offensive showing in all regards. Chris Douglas-Roberts was one of the lone bright spots for Memphis, as the talented guard finished with 19 points. Robert Dozier pitched in 13 points and nine rebounds, and Joey Dorsey pulled down 13 boards before fouling out. Douglas-Roberts is averaging 15.3 ppg on 50.6 percent shooting from he floor, and Dozier adds 12.8 ppg to the lineup on 55.6 percent efficiency to go along with 7.0 rpg. Jeremy Hunt (11.6 ppg) and Antonio Anderson (10.3 ppg) round out the double-digit scorers for Memphis, which is netting 81.5 ppg while limiting opponents to 67.9 ppg on 38.2 percent shooting from the field.