University of Memphis Athletics
University of Memphis
LeMoyne-Owen
Memphis Defeats LeMoyne-Owen 110-46 In Final Exhibition Game
Nov 08, 2004 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 9, 2004
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Freshman Joey Dorsey led six Memphis players in double figures with a game-high 20 points to lead the No. 23/24 nationally-ranked Tigers to a 110-victory over NCAA Division II LeMoyne-Owen College Monday night at FedExForum. The game was the final exhibition for Memphis, which opens regular season play Thursday, Nov. 11 against Savannah State in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.
The Tigers jumped out to a 16-2 advantage in the first four minutes of the game and never looked back. Sophomore Sean Banks, a Wooden Award and Naismith Trophy preseason candidate, scored eight of his 13 points in the game's opening run. From that point, Memphis continued to build on its lead, taking a 55-21 advantage into the halftime locker room. Monday's first half was a total reversal from Saturday's first exhibition when the Tigers trailed Christian Brothers 40-34 at the intermission.
"We had a fully taped pregame shoot-around today, and we went an hour and 15 minutes hard going over defense and offensive rebounding," said Memphis head coach John Calipari. "Then, we watched the tape of the CBU game over dinner today, and the players responded. I thought they were very unselfish, played with great energy, and we executed much better (tonight)."
Dorsey posted a double-double with 20 points and 11 boards. The Baltimore, Md., native shot 7-of-11 from the field, and four of his seven field goals were dunks. Darius Washington, Dorsey's freshman running mate, had another solid performance with 10 points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals.
"I thought both of the freshmen did pretty good tonight," Calipari said. "I think Darius is going a great job of pushing the ball, and he's getting better every game in making some plays and getting the ball to people where they can score and not getting himself in trouble.
"Joey did a much better job of doing what we're trying to get him to do, but he's still not there. Now we have to see what he can do in tomorrow's practice and practice the next day. It's all a process."
Other Tigers in double figures were Rodney Carney with 18 points, Jeremy Hunt with 14 and Clyde Wade with 12. Carney also pulled down nine boards.
Howard Cosby led LeMoyne-Owen with 15 points, while Henry Tyler added 10. Following the game, longtime Magician head coach Jerry Johnson announced the 2004-05 campaign will be his last, retiring after 42 seasons on the sidelines.
"I decided I was going to retire a year ago," Johnson said. "Recruiting has gotten really tough on the Division 2 level. It is hard to get good players. I have been at LeMoyne-Owen for 42 years."
The Tigers return to action when they host a Coaches vs. Cancer Regional Thursday and Saturday, Nov. 11 and 13 at FedExForum. Other teams participating are George Mason, IPFW and Savannah State.
Thursday's games start at 5:30 p.m. (CT) with George Mason and IPFW, and then Memphis and Savannah State will take the court 20 minutes after the conclusion of game one. In Saturday action, the regional consolation game will tip off at 5:30 p.m. (CT) with the regional championship to follow. The winner of the Memphis regional will advance to the Coaches vs. Cancer championship round Nov. 18-19 in New York, N.Y. The games will be played in Madison Square Garden.
