• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Memphis rolling in conference play

Jan 31, 2009 - 11:21 AM Houston (12-6) at No. 19 Memphis (17-3) 1:00 p.m. EST

MEMPHIS, Tennessee (Ticker) -- All Memphis needed to build its confidence was conference play.

The 19th-ranked Tigers go for their 12th straight win on Saturday when they host Houston.

After opening the season with four straight wins, Memphis (17-3, 6-0 Conference USA) hit a rough patch against some tough non-conference competition. The Tigers dropped three of their next five games, suffering losses to Xavier, then-No. 19 Georgetown and then-No. 11 Syracuse from November 23 to December 20.

However, Memphis has been red-hot since, opening its conference schedule with six straight wins, including an 85-64 victory at East Carolina on Wednesday that pushed the team's winning streak in league play to 48 games.

Antonio Anderson scored a season-high 26 points and handed out eight assists, freshman Tyreke Evans finished with 18 points and Robert Dozier added 11 and three blocks for the Tigers.

Memphis' dominance of Conference USA should continue against Houston (12-6, 3-2), which is coming off back-to-back losses.

Following a six-point overtime loss to Arizona on Sunday, the Cougars were outrebounded 51-34 en route to a 62-55 setback to Texas-El Paso on Wednesday.

Aubrey Coleman, the team's second-leading scorer, returns for the Cougars after serving a one-game suspension for stepping on Arizona forward Chase Budinger in the loss.