Memphis tops UNT

By Associated Press     Mar 17, 2007

North Texas' Keith Wooden, a Free State High graduate, reacts during the Mean Green's first-round loss to Memphis. Fifteenth-seeded UNT fell, 73-58, Friday in New Orleans. Wooden led North Texas with 16 points.

? With another win against another unheralded foe, the Memphis Tigers didn’t prove much in their NCAA Tournament opener.

But the way they beat North Texas, 73-58, on Friday showed why the Tigers believe they’ll be ready to play the big boys when they finally get a chance.

Backup guards Andre Allen and Jeremy Hunt found themselves running the offense after two starters got in foul trouble midway through the first half. With big men Robert Dozier and Joey Dorsey getting physical, and freshman reserve Doneal Mack hitting some big shots, Memphis went from being down by a few to being ahead by a lot.

“We did what we had to,” Memphis coach John Calipari said.

Chris Douglas-Roberts led the Tigers in scoring with 16 points. He missed the last 9:58 of the first half after picking up a technical foul that counted as his third personal.

Former Free State High star Keith Wooden led North Texas with 16 points. Calvin Watson had 13, and Kendrick Davis scored 12. But after Quincy Williams’ nine points, nobody else had more than one basket.

“If y’all could cut us open and look inside, you’d see how big our heart is,” Watson said.

Virginia 84, Albany 57

Columbus, Ohio – J.R. Reynolds scored 28 points, and Virginia got its first tournament win since 1995, when it reached the final eight.

Sean Singletary added 23 points and nine assists for the fourth-seeded Cavaliers, who will meet Tennessee in the second round.

Reynolds made his first seven shots and went 7-of-9 overall in the first half, piling up 23 points in only 17 minutes.

Tennessee 121, Long Beach State 86

Columbus, Ohio – Tennessee had five players score in double figures as it matched the record for most points in a first-round game, set by UNLV in 1977 against San Francisco.

Chris Lofton scored 25 points, and Dane Bradshaw had 11 assists for the fifth-seeded Volunteers (23-10), who tied the school record for most points in a game.

Nevada 77, Creighton 71, OT

New Orleans – Marcelus Kemp saved seventh-seeded Nevada from another early exit in the NCAA Tournament.

With Wolf Pack star Nick Fazekas off his game, Kemp capped a 27-point performance with nine points in overtime.

Nevada (29-4) was bounced by Montana in last year’s first round.

Fazekas had his second-worst shooting performance of the season and fouled out with 3:06 left in overtime.

Creighton’s Nate Funk had 23.

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