Memphis Tigers vs. Houston Cougars C-USA Quaterfinals Today

It’s that time again, brackets, brackets, and more brackets. Today our Memphis Tigers took on the Houston Cougars. A game that was said to be a key match-up was nothing less than that. There were layups all over the place. As both teams got it done on both ends of the floor, it wasn’t a surprise that it was a close game.

While the Houston Cougars defeated The Memphis Tigers 66-65, they also snapped a C-Usa winning streak for Memphis. The Tigers #2 seed in C-Usa with a 23-9 record defended the C-Usa 4 times in the tournaments. Being knocked out in just the quarter finals was not the way coach Josh Pastner, seniors Doneal Mack or Willie Kemp wanted to end their season together.

The Tiger’s center Will Coleman played hard with 14pts, 8reb, and 3blks, but the game belonged to Memphis’ guard Willie Kemp. Kemp who led the way for Memphis with 15pts scored the last 5 baskets for the team including the layup that put the Tigers up 65-64 with 15.7 sec to play. You would think that would be the end of the game and the Tigers come away with a gut-wrenching win huh?

Obviously, Houston Cougars’s guard Aubrey Coleman had other plans for Memphis. Coleman, with just 15.7secs to work with, said to himself, that is all I need. Coleman raced back down the court and layed in what would later be the game winning shot of his season so far to give him a total of 21pts on the day. Oh, but hold on, there is still 5secs left, that is enough time for Memphis to make a play and who better to give it to than the man Kemp who has been hot all afternoon.

Speeding back down the court with the defender all over him, Kemp had the ball in his right hand dribbling then stopped, put the ball in his left hand and continued dribbling which is called a double dribble. He got the turnover and the Cougars ran out the 5secs. Houston 17-15 was the 7th seed in C-Usa and will play Southern Miss Friday in the semi-finals.

What an end to a game, on a double dribbling call. We have a chance at the N.I.T. if Memphis accepts the invitation. There still is no need for Memphis fans to hang their heads, our guys played hard and full of passion. Our new head coach has done his best, and what a great job it has been. After John Calipari left for Kentucky, no one could have imagined the Tigers bouncing back the way they did but it happened. Pastner has the top recruiting class in the nation, coming into Memphis next year with the likes of Memphis’s own Joe Jackson. Memphis will be back on top in a snap.