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Anderson shows Arkansas State no slack in win by Memphis

Nov 30, 2006 - 3:50 AM MEMPHIS, Tennessee (Ticker) -- Antonio Anderson personally made sure Arkansas State did not go into the locker room believing it had a chance.

Anderson scored 17 points and Jeremy Hunt added 15 as 17th-ranked Memphis used a lopsided run at the end of the first half to roll to an 86-60 victory over the Indians.

Unable to shake the Sun Belt Conference squad early, Memphis (4-1) found itself holding just a 32-26 lead with six minutes left in the first half. That is when Anderson took over.

The sophomore guard sank five free throws and hit a jumper, helping the Tigers close the half on a 13-0 surge. The 45-26 advantage at intermission held up even though the Tigers shot 42 percent (15-of-36) over the final 20 minutes.

"We knew coming in this would be a tall task against Memphis," Arkansas State coach Dickey Nutt said. "We could not hold the gates shut."

Along with taking over for his team when it needed him most, Anderson also handed out five assists without committing a turnover.

Overall, Memphis recorded 16 assists on 31 baskets, finishing 46 percent (31-of-67) from the floor.

"We have a team right now that really passes to one another, probably as unselfish as any team in the nation," Tigers coach John Calipari said. "We did what we had to."

Despite the superb passing and solid shooting, Memphis struggled mightily against the zone of Arkansas State, going just 4-of-25 (16 percent) on 3-pointers.

However, Robert Dozier scored 13 points and pulled down eight rebounds and Joey Dorsey added 10 and seven as Memphis flexed its muscle inside. It finished with a 52-16 advantage in points in the paint and 40-35 edge in rebounding.

"Memphis was very big on the inside, and offensively, we were missing Isaac Wells," Nutt said. "I told our guys to put this game behind you and to not let it worry you one second. At the end of conference play, games like this will help us."

Chris Douglas-Roberts chipped in eight points for the Tigers, who turned 25 turnovers by Arkansas State into 28 points.

Adrian Banks scored 14 of his 25 points in the first half for the Indians (4-5), who shot 43 percent (23-of-53).