The New York Times-20080127-Memphis Runs Past Gonzaga to Reach 19-0

Return to: The_New_York_Times-20080127

Memphis Runs Past Gonzaga to Reach 19-0

Full Text (942  words)

Chris Douglas-Roberts scored 21 points and Derrick Rose added 19 as No. 1 Memphis remained undefeated with an 81-73 victory over Gonzaga on Saturday.

This was the first time in school history the Tigers got to play on their own court as the top-ranked team, and they trailed for only a little more than a minute late in the first half before a sold-out crowd.

The Tigers (19-0) extended the nation's longest home winning streak to 43 straight by showing off their athleticism and running over Gonzaga (15-5), which had a six-game winning streak.

The Bulldogs took Memphis to overtime before losing in Seattle last season. This time, they had to be happy with keeping within single digits at the end.

Antonio Anderson added 12 points for Memphis, and Joey Dorsey had 9 points and 13 rebounds before fouling out late. John Calipari joined Larry Finch as the only Memphis coaches with at least 200 wins, improving to 200-63 in his eighth season.

Jeremy Pargo led Gonzaga with 25 points, and Josh Heytvelt added 13 and Micah Downs 11. Matt Bouldin was held to 6 points, well below his team-leading average of 14.7.

The Bulldogs cut their deficit to 62-55 on a 3-point play by Bouldin with 8 minutes 8 seconds left.

Rose answered with two free throws, the Tigers forced Gonzaga into a shot clock violation and Douglas-Roberts hit the first of two at the line. Rose added a jumper, then Douglas-Roberts dunked for a 69-55 lead with 5:52 to go.

The Bulldogs made it a 6-point game inside the final minute but got no closer even though Memphis went just 6 of 12 from the line.

Memphis made its case for staying No. 1 this time around. The Tigers lost on the road at Virginia Tech six hours after moving atop the rankings on Jan. 10, 1983. They won a road game later that week but fell out of that spot in the next poll.

These Tigers played at Tulsa on Wednesday night, which made this nonconference game that much more special. And seats were filled for the morning tip-off.

Memphis dominated on the boards behind Dorsey (40-28) but hurt Gonzaga most with 23 fast-break points -- 21 off turnovers.

The Tigers opened the game by scoring the first 10 points and bringing fans to their feet. Dorsey, who grabbed 19 rebounds against Tulsa, had six of their first nine rebounds. Memphis led by 25-13 on a 3-pointer by Doneal Mack and seemed on their way to a rout.

Gonzaga settled down and finally got a chance to get into a zone defense, which helped slow the Tigers. Pargo's basket started a 19-5 run that was capped by consecutive 3-pointers from Downs, the second with 2:16 left giving the Bulldogs their first lead of the game at 32-30.

Douglas-Roberts tipped in his miss, then Rose rebounded Dorsey's missed layup in the air and slammed it down to beat the buzzer for a 35-32 halftime lead.

The Tigers opened the second half much as they ended the first as Douglas-Roberts dunked in the opening seconds. Memphis scored 7 of the first 9 points for a 42-34 lead on Anderson's fast-break dunk after Dorsey blocked Bouldin's layup.

That prompted a timeout by Gonzaga Coach Mark Few. It did not help as Douglas-Roberts was fouled after the timeout, and hit both free throws to give Memphis a 44-34 lead.

NOTRE DAME 90, VILLANOVA 80 Kyle McAlarney scored 30 points, and Luke Harangody had 25 points and 10 rebounds to help visiting Notre Dame deal No. 18 Villanova its second consecutive loss.

Rob Kurz added 12 points for the Irish (14-4, 4-2 Big East), who hit nine 3-pointers and shot 51 percent from the field to get their first conference road win.

Antonio Pena scored 17 points, and Corey Fisher and Scottie Reynolds each had 13 for slumping Villanova (13-5, 3-4). The Wildcats allowed 80-plus points for the second consecutive game after an 80-68 loss at Rutgers on Wednesday, capping a miserable week that will most likely knock them out of the top 25.

Malcolm Grant, who provided a late burst of scoring and energy off the bench, connected on a 3-pointer with 1:13 left that cut the Wildcats' deficit to 7 points. But Harangody then sealed the win with an open, thunderous dunk off the break.

McAlarney, held to only 10 points in Notre Dame's 19-point loss at No. 9 Georgetown last week, spurred the Irish to their first win over a ranked team in three games this season. He was 10 of 16 from the field and went 5 for 9 from 3-point range to help bust the game open early.

McAlarney hit a 3-pointer and Ryan Ayers, whose father once coached the Philadelphia 76ers in the same arena, followed with a 3-pointer to stretch Notre Dame's lead to 57-41 midway through the second half.

The Wildcats do not have a senior on the roster and their regular rotation is stocked with freshmen and sophomores.

Villanova's Corey Stokes hit two 3-pointers and Reggie Redding hit a runner that pulled the Wildcats to 59-49.

But McAlarney burst through the lane for a layup and Harangody converted a 3-point play that made it 65-51. McAlarney followed with another 3-pointer that sent the Wildcats into a timeout hearing boos from a packed Wachovia Center.

[Illustration]PHOTOS: Chris Douglas-Roberts, challenging Gonzaga guard Matt Bouldin, scored 21 points to help Memphis remain one of the two undefeated teams in Division I. A.J. Graves, top right, had 16 points - the most for him in a month - for No. 15 Butler. (PHOTOGRAPHS BY JIM WEBER/REUTERS; MICHAEL CONROY/ASSOCIATED PRESS)