Tigers Host Governors at FedEx Forum

Tigers host Governors at FedExForum
Sportsnetwork.com

Memphis, TN (Sports Network) - The 19th-ranked Memphis Tigers welcome the Austin Peay Governors to town for a non-conference clash this evening from FedExForum.

Austin Peay is just 3-4 overall thus far, but the team has won three of its last four outings since dropping three straight decisions to open the campaign. On Saturday, the Govs improved to 2-1 in Ohio Valley Conference play with a hard-fought 59-57 triumph over Eastern Kentucky.

Memphis carries a 7-2 overall record into this contest, including a perfect 5-0 mark at home. On Saturday, the Tigers recorded an 82-70 decision over Ole Miss, enabling them to bounce back successfully from a lopsided loss to Tennessee in the previous outing.

Memphis owns a 13-4 advantage in the all-time series with Austin Peay, including a 71-66 decision over the Govs in the most recent meeting two seasons ago.

Austin Peay trailed Eastern Kentucky by five points at intermission on Saturday, but the Govs connected on 52.4 percent of their field goal attempts over the final 20 minutes to claim the victory. Landon Shipley led the way in the win with 18 points off the bench, and Derek Wright hit all four of his field goal attempts en route to 14 points. Drake Reed pitched in 10 points for Austin Peay, which is scoring 64.0 ppg while surrendering 70.9 ppg to the opposition. Reed is netting 14.9 ppg to pace the club, while Shipley adds 12.1 ppg to the mix. While this program has been a powerhouse in the OVC in years past, the 2006-07 roster is rather young and inexperienced, so expectations are a bit tempered.

Memphis is racking up 81.6 ppg while limiting its opponents to 68.1 ppg on 38.8 percent shooting from the floor. Chris Douglas-Roberts is an impressive sophomore who is posting a team-high 15.4 ppg on 51.5 percent shooting from the floor. Robert Dozier adds 12.2 ppg and 6.6 rpg to the mix, while Jeremy Hunt is contributing 12.1 ppg. The fourth and final double-digit scorer for the Tigers is Antonio Anderson, as he is posting 10.7 ppg despite his shooting troubles. In the win over Ole Miss on Saturday, Douglas-Roberts came through with 17 points. Hunt contributed 16 points for the Tigers, who got 14 points from Anderson. Memphis forced 21 turnovers and earned a 44-35 rebounding edge, two major factors in the win. The margin of victory could have been even greater for the squad if not for a 15-of-30 effort from the foul line.