Conference USA Tournament: No. 1 Memphis bumped No. 4 Houston out of the Conference USA Tournament with a 68-54 semifinal win. The Tigers rebounded from a bad start in which they went six minutes without scoring and let the Cougars build a 10-0 lead. But Memphis erased the deficit quickly. Freshman forward Shawne Williams led Memphis with 23 points and eight rebounds, helping the Tigers pull away in the second half with a 14-4 run. Memphis will play No. 2 Alabama – Birmingham in Saturday’s championship game.
Alabama – Birmingham survived a thrilling game against No. 3 Texas – El Paso, winning 63-60. Senior guard Carldell “Squeaky” Johnson scored 12 points and dished out six assists to lead the Blazers to the victory. The Miners had an opportunity to tie when junior guard Kevin Henderson was fouled on a missed three-pointer with five seconds remaining. But Henderson missed the first free throw, and the Blazers held on for the victory. Alabama – Birmingham beat Memphis last week, likely sealing the Blazers’ position in the NCAA Tournament. [3/10/06]
