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Memphis looking for some competition in Conference USA

Jan 19, 2008 - 2:53 PM Southern Miss (9-8) at No. 2 Memphis (16-0) 9:00 pm EST

MEMPHIS, Tennessee (Ticker) - Second-ranked Memphis looks to extend its home winning streak to 41 games when it faces Southern Mississippi on Saturday.

Conference USA has provided little competition for the Tigers (16-0, 3-0 Conference USA), who are one of three unbeaten teams along with North Carolina and Kansas.

The Tigers have won 35 consecutive regular-season games and are off to their best start since the 1985-86 team started 20-0.

Junior guard Chris Douglas-Roberts leads the Tigers in scoring at 16.3 points per game. Freshman guard Derrick Rose is averaging 14.1 points and junior forward Robert Dozier 11.1 for Memphis, which has defeated the Golden Eagles eight consecutive times.

"What happens with every team we play, they play to a level they haven't played all year," Memphis coach John Calipari said. "If you don't come out and make them match your intensity, they outscrap you."

That Golden Eagles (9-8, 1-2) have lost five of their last six games. That stretch included an embarrassing 61-56 defeat to Savannah State on January 4.

Southern Mississippi fell to 0-5 on the road with a 72-65 loss to UAB on Wednesday.

Sophomore guard Jeremy Wise averages 18.8 points per game for the Golden Eagles.