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Douglas-Roberts scores 19 to lead listless Memphis

Mar 4, 2007 - 6:35 AM DALLAS (Ticker) -- A very disinterested Memphis team sure was glad Chris Douglas-Roberts decided to show up.

Douglas-Roberts scored 19 points, including a clutch 3-pointer and two free throws, as the seventh-ranked Tigers outlasted Southern Methodist, 64-61, in a Conference USA contest, extending the nation's longest winning streak to 19 games.

Memphis (27-3, 16-0 C-USA) entered needing a win to become the first conference team to go undefeated since Cincinnati in 1999-00 and two to tie the school's all-time best winning streak.

But the Tigers did not play with any purpose against the lowly Mustangs (14-16, 3-13), shooting just 37.5 percent (21-of-56), including 5-of-23 from the arc, and missing 10 of 27 free throws. In the first meeting between the teams on February 3, Memphis shot 61 percent (34-of-56) and made 15-of-25 shots from the arc in an 88-52 demolition.

SMU jumped out to an early 19-7 lead 4 1/2 minutes into this one. That woke up the champions, who rallied back for a 29-28 lead at the half. Neither team could muster more than a three-point lead in the final 20 minutes until the final 22 seconds.

Douglas-Roberts, who shot 7-of-14 from the floor while his teammates connected on just 33 percent (14-of-42), gave the Tigers a 59-57 edge on a 3-pointer with 3:55 left.

A layup by Joey Dorsey off an offensive rebound with 72 seconds left provided a 61-58 edge and a free throw by Jeremy Hunt 42 ticks later pushed the lead to four. After Devon Pearson sank a shot from the arc for SMU with 17 seconds remaining, Douglas-Roberts sank a pair of free throws four seconds later to rebuild a 64-61 lead.

Ike Ofoegbu's 3-pointer came up short at the buzzer for the Mustangs.

Dorsey had 13 points and seven rebounds for Memphis and Hunt added 11.

Ofoegbu scored 21 points but committed seven turnovers and Pearson added 16 for SMU, which has dropped four straight and eight of 11.

Memphis came out sleepwalking and Pearson and SMU took advantage. Pearson knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and a jumper to forge the 19-7 lead.

However, the Tigers soon righted the ship and used a 15-4 run capped by a layup from Douglas-Roberts with 4:25 left to take their first lead at 26-25.