Dec. 28, 2006
Box Score
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - James Davis scored a game-high 20 points, but Chris Douglas-Roberts led five players in double-figures as No. 22-ranked Memphis pulled away from Lamar University in the second half for an 87-62 win Thursday night in non-conference men's basketball action at FedExForum.
Lamar dropped to 5-8 overall and Memphis improved to 10-3 on the season. The Cardinals return home to host Louisiana College Monday in their final tune-up before the start of Southland Conference play. Despite shooting just 21.9 percent from the field in the first half, Lamar trailed by just 10 points, 38-28 at halftime. Davis scored the first points of the game on a pair of free throws and Darren Hopkins' layup gave the Cardinals a 4-3 lead at 18:28.
Davis' conventional three point play tied the game at 7-7 with 14:47 remaining in the first half. The Tigers responded with an 8-0 run capped by back-to-back three-pointers by Douglas-Roberts and Willie Kemp.
The Cardinals answered with 3-pointers by Currye Todd and Hopkins to cut the lead to two, 15-13. Memphis again had the answer with a 10-0 run to put its lead to 25-13 on a Doneal Mack 3-pointer at 9:53.
Memphis opened the second half with a 12-4 run to extend its lead to 18 points on a layup by Robert Dozier at 15:45 of the second half. The Cardinals would get no closer than 14 points the rest of the game.
Davis was 8-of-17 from the field and 4-of-6 from the free throw line in scoring his 20 points. He also grabbed five rebounds, had two assists, two blocked shots and two steals. Todd scored 13 points and grabbed a career-high seven rebounds. Brandon Chappell added 10 points off the bench. Lamar Sanders scored eight points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Lawrence Nwevo grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds off the bench.
Lamar shot 31.3 percent (20-of-64) from the field, 35 percent (7-of-20) from 3-point range and 48.4 percent (15-of-31) from the free throw line. The Cardinals equaled the Tigers with 49 rebounds, but committed 24 turnovers which led to 32 Memphis points.
Douglas-Roberts scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Tigers. Dozier added 13 points, eight rebounds and five steals. Jeremy Hunt and Kareem Cooper both came off the bench to score 12 points, and Cooper added nine rebounds and two blocked shots. Joey Dorsey chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds.
Memphis shot 43.2 percent (32-of-74) from the field, 31.6 percent (6-of-19) from 3-point range and 54.8 percent (17-of-31) from the free throw line. The Tigers outscored the Cardinals 50 to 22 in points in the paint and 17-13 in second chance points.
