Mon, Dec 01 2008
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Published March 16, 2008 01:04 am - No. 2 Memphis steamrolls TU to win C-USA MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — John Calipari doesn’t have to lobby for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament — his Memphis Tigers let their play talk for him.
Antonio Anderson scored 19 points, and No. 2 Memphis added a third straight Conference USA tournament championship to the Tigers’ third consecutive regular-season title by routing Tulsa 77-51 Saturday for a 42nd straight league win in a dominating performance. Calipari said he and his Tigers can’t do anything else now. “We just played on national television, and people saw us. Hopefully, we’re a (No.) 1 seed. Where they put us and where they rank us in those ones, what do we do about it now? It doesn’t matter. They saw it. They watched it. If there’s people out there better than us, they’ll be rated higher than us. I will be surprised if we’re not a (No.) 1 seed,” Calipari said. The Tigers (33-1) dismantled a tired team by shooting 56.6 percent from the floor and hit 11 of 22 from 3-point range. Calipari said he told Tulsa coach Doug Wojcik his Golden Hurricane just hit Memphis on a bad day. “They are a legitimate contender to win it all,” Wojcik said. Anderson hit four of five from 3-point range to become the third player to lead the Tigers in scoring in as many games. He and Chris Douglas-Roberts, who added 16 points, went a combined 14-of-17 from the floor. Jeff Robinson had 11 off the bench. Shawn Taggart dribbled out the final seconds even as both teams started shaking hands. Tulsa 7-footer Jerome Jordan had 17 points and Ben Uzoh added 13. The Tigers didn’t need the automatic berth to play in the NCAA tournament for a fifth time in six seasons and 21 overall. Finishing the season with their seventh straight win strengthens their case for a second No. 1 seed in three seasons after tying the school record for wins in a season and matching the 33 wins of the past two seasons. These Tigers will also be going into the NCAA tournament as only the 28th team with at least 30 wins. Saturday’s victory also moved them into sole possession of fifth place for most wins in a three-year period with 99. Only Kentucky, with 104 between 1994 and 1996 and 102 between 1947-1949, Montana State (102) and Duke (101) have won more in a three-year span. “They’re taking us along for a ride, and I’m including me and my staff,” Calipari said. 
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