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Friday, November 09, 2007

Sports Network - Rose scores 21 as Memphis tops Richmond

Rose scores 21 as Memphis tops Richmond

Memphis, TN (Sports Network) - Derrick Rose scored 21 points to help No. 3 Memphis beat Richmond 80-63 and win the Memphis regional of the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer.

Rose, a highly-touted freshman from Chicago, went 6-for-8 from the field and was named the most valuable player of the Memphis regional, scoring 38 points in the first two rounds of the tournament. Chris Douglas-Roberts added 19 points and nine rebounds for the Tigers (2-0), while Robert Dozier had nine points and eight rebounds.

Memphis was without starting forward Joey Dorsey for the second straight game. Dorsey sprained his right shoulder during a scrimmage against Saint Louis on October 27. He is expected to be available in the semifinals.

David Gonzalvez scored 25 points and Jarhon Giddings had 11 points and seven rebounds for the Spiders (1-1).

"I don't think that we scored enough. Memphis is going to score a lot of points," said Richmond head coach Chris Mooney. "We stopped them for awhile. We had opportunities to score, but they're going to keep putting up scores on the board."

Gonzalvez's jumper with 13:35 left to play gave Richmond a 48-46 edge but the Tigers responded with a 14-2 run. Rose scored six points during the surge that put Memphis ahead for good.

The Tigers made free throws down the stretch to ensure the victory and extend their home winning streak to 34 games, the longest in the nation.

Early in the first half, Memphis consistently settled for three-point attempts against Richmond's zone defense. The Tigers shot 19 of their first 26 field- goal attempts from beyond the arc and finished the game shooting 36 percent from downtown.

The Spiders on the other hand made six of their first nine from three-point land and took a 29-22 lead when Gonzalvez reeled off seven consecutive points.

"So they come out with a zone, and we're tentative," said Tigers head coach John Calipari. "I'm at a loss of words. It was my fault in that first half because we didn't post it."

Memphis, however, fought back and took a 40-39 lead at the half.

The Tigers will play in the semifinals at Madison Square Garden on November 15.

Game Notes

Gonzalvez was 4-of-7 from 3-point range...Memphis' Willie Kemp scored 11 points...Memphis shot 49 percent while Richmond finished shooting just 38 percent from the field...Richmond was trying to beat its highest ranked opponent in school history...The Spiders have never defeated a top 5 team.

11/07 01:26:58 ET

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