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Memphis still looking for challenge in Conference USA

Feb 21, 2009 - 2:25 PM No. 6 Memphis (23-3) at Texas-El Paso (16-9), 4:00 p.m. EST

EL PASO, Texas (Ticker) -- Memphis is again having its way in Conference USA.

The sixth-ranked Tigers take their 17-game winning streak to Texas-El Paso on Saturday.

Memphis (23-3, 11-0 C-USA) has won 53 straight conference games and is two wins away from locking up its fourth straight regular-season crown.

Shawn Taggart scored 19 points to lead five players in double figures as Memphis throttled Southern Methodist, 90-47, on Wednesday. The Mustangs scored just 14 points in the second half.

Freshman Tyreke Evans is averaging 16.8 points per game to lead Memphis, which hasn't lost since December 20.

UTEP (16-9, 7-4) may put up a little more of a fight as the Miners come in on a three-game winning streak.

The conference's second-leading scorer, Stefon Jackson had 23 points in the Miners' 67-58 victory over Rice on Wednesday. The 6-5 senior, who has scored over 2,000 points for his career, is averaging 23.1 per contest.

It is the first meeting between the teams this season.