University of Memphis Athletics
University of Memphis
Ole Miss
Men's Basketball Handles Ole Miss, 58-51
Dec 19, 2002 | Men's Basketball
Dec 19, 2002
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Anthony Rice and Billy Richmond scored 14 points each Thursday night as Memphis overcame a poor percent shooting performance to defeat Mississippi 58-51.
The Tigers (5-2), who had lost three straight in the series, held the Rebels to only two field goals in the final eight minutes.
The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Rebels (5-2).
Rodney Carney finished with 13 for Memphis.
Derrick Allen and Emmanuel Wade led Mississippi with 13 points each, while Aaron Harper added 10 points and seven rebounds.
Wade's second-half scoring kept the Rebels close. At one point, the reserve guard scored 10 straight points.
But after his layup with eight minutes left cut the Tiger lead to 48-44, Mississippi scored only one basket until 26 seconds remained.
The Tigers managed 6-of-10 free throws in the final three minutes to hold off any last-minute runs by the Rebels.
Mississippi shot only slightly better than the Tigers' 37 percent shooting, connecting on 38 percent from the field.
Memphis led 30-24 at the half behind Richmond's nine points and eight from Carney, who hit all four of his field goal attempts before the break.
Harper had seven for the Rebels in the first half.
Neither team could gain much of a lead through the first 15 minutes. Mississippi had a 4-point lead midway through the period, but the game was tied six times.
Memphis put together six straight points with about four minutes remaining in the half.
Memphis built its lead to nine early in the second half, and eventually would lead 44-33 after a Rice 3-pointer and a Richmond drive with just under 12 minutes to play.
But Wade put together his own run with 10 straight Mississippi points during a three-minute stretch midway through the half to cut the lead to 48-44.
