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No. 16 Memphis edges Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

Dec 21, 2010 - 5:24 AM Memphis, TN (Sports Network) - Joe Jackson finished with a game-high 23 points as the 16th-ranked Memphis Tigers edged the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders, 68-63, at FedEx Forum.

Will Coleman scored 15 points to go along with nine rebounds and Charles Carmouche added 12 points for the Tigers (9-1), who have won back-to-back games to start a five-game homestand.

"Winning is tough, winning is hard," said Memphis head coach Josh Pastner. "The bottom line is we found a way to win."

Hollis Hill led the Islanders (4-7) with 16 points and both Justin Reynolds and Terence Jones finished with 11. Demond Watt had 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds for the Islanders, who have alternated wins and losses in their last seven contests.

The Islanders held a 29-28 edge after a back-and-forth first half, and the teams traded the lead for the opening minutes of the second until Memphis' Antonio Barton connected on a driving layup and then sank a free-throw with 8:12 remaining to give the Tigers the lead for good at 46-45.

Carmouche hit a three-pointer 19 seconds later to put Memphis up four, and Jackson's three extended the advantage to 58-52 with 4 1/2 minutes left. The Tigers' lead reached a game-high seven when Jackson made the back end of two foul shots with 1:32 remaining.

The Islanders made it a one-possession game when Hill made two free-throws with 37 seconds remaining, but Memphis made four from the line before Hill's layup with six ticks left accounted for the final margin.

"I was happy with our competitive energy," Islanders head coach Perry Clark said. "If you're going to play a top 20 team, you have to be able to compete."

Game Notes

It was the first ever meeting between the schools...Memphis shot 77.8 percent from the line, but only 39.6 percent from the field...Will Barton and Antonio Barton both finished with six points for the Tigers...Memphis will finish its homestand with visits from Georgetown, Lipscomb and Tennessee State...The Islanders will next host Georgia State on December 29 before heading to Texas Tech on January 2.