Conference USA Tournament Quarterfinal Recap
by Ryan Westin
No. 1 Memphis 92, No. 8 Marshall 71
Day two of the Conference USA tournament started out and ended with what March madness is all about as three contests were decided by a three point shot as time dwindled down. Top seeded Memphis was able to cruise to an easy victory as head coach John Calipari’s Tigers played with such intensity you would have thought that they were not a lock for the big dance. Memphis put on a show in the first half with 52 points and coasted to the semifinals in second round’s only blowout.
No. 7 Rice 53, No. 2 UCF 51
Rice’s Morris Almond showed why he is the Conference USA POY taking over the in the second half in their victory to upset No. 2 UCF. Rice head coach Willis Wilson put the game in Almond’s hands when they were down by one for the last shot and boy did he deliver with a heartbreaking fade away three with 2.8 ticks left in the contest to give the Owls their second come from behind victory in the tournament in as many days. Almond is the real deal and he proved with his 30 points today and 31 yesterday.
No. 3 Houston 62, No. 6 Southern Miss 59
The first half of the Southern Miss Houston game looked as though it was a high school game with sloppy play by both squads and many off balance shots. The two teams combined for a mere 42 points in the first stanza. Houston guard Robert McKiver then got the action filled second half going knocking down some threes and buried Southern Miss with ten unanswered who looked like the same prep squad from the first twenty minutes of action.
Something sparked the young Southern Miss squad as they brought their “A” game down the stretch after a dismal start. The Golden Eagles would take the lead but were unable to hold on after an equalizing prayer at the buzzer hit the front of the rim to hand the Cougars a ticket to the semifinals against a Rice squad that looks to be able to knock off any one in their way.
No. 4 Tulane 58, No. 5 Tulsa 56
The final game of the day came down to yet another last shot opportunity to go on to the semifinals. Ramsdell drove down the court as the clock ticked down and was unable to get off what would of been the game winning three as Tulane was able to avoid a repeat of their match up earlier this year that was decided by a game winning three by Rod Earls with 2 seconds to go in the contest at Tulane.
Second Round Notes
- With Tulane up three and the shot clock off, Tulsa was forced to foul late in the second half. The scoreboard read nine fouls but the official on the floor called for the double bonus. After Tulane missed the front end of the of the bonus, officials conferred and realized that it was Tulsa’s ninth foul and ruled for a jump ball which put the ball back in Tulane’s hand on the alternating position rule. Tulane would convert their two free throws after being fouled on the inbound pass and go up five. Ramsdell knocked down a deep three to cut the lead to two. Tulane missed both free throws but Tulsa lost by two points as they could not overcome the officiating error down the stretch.
- Five of the eight games in the first and second round of the tournament have been decided by three or less points.
- Memphis extended their home winning streak to 30 games dating back to a loss to Texas in 2006.
- The victor of the second semifinal tomorrow will have approximately 14 hours between the buzzer of that contest and the tip off of the championship game on Saturday which starts at 10:30 am CST.
- C-USA coach of the year Kirk Speraw’s contract is up at the end of the season and at this time his future with the Knights is questionable with no extension or answer about Speraw’s status from AD Keith Tribble. Speraw has led UCF to four twenty win seasons in the last five years as well as two appearances with in that span.
Friday, March 9
No. 1 Memphis vs. No. 4 Tulane, 4:30 pm
No. 7 Rice vs. No. 3 Houston, 7 pm
