Nov. 15, 2005

Box Score |  Quotes |  Notes

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Shawne Williams and Rodney Carney scored 17 points apiece to lead No. 12 Memphis to a 79-52 victory over the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Tuesday night in the first round of the NIT Season Tip-Off Tournament.

Joah Tucker led the Panthers (0-1) with 23 points, but UWM shot just 22.2 percent from the field and had 11 shots blocked by the tall and athletic Tigers.

Darius Washington added 16 points and Kareem Cooper had 14 for the Tigers, who will play No. 15 Alabama in the second round Thursday night.

"I thought we got the ball in positions to do some things but didn't come away with anything because of their length. Their length was a factor, definitely," UWM head coach Rob Jeter said. "We got the ball in the post and then they had a few blocked shots. We settled on some shots in that stretch where we got it down to eight, and then it got out of hand from there. But I think it had more to do with their length than us not using shot fakes or getting them in the air."

Memphis' full-court pressure forced 13 Panther turnovers in the first 10 minutes of the game, allowing the Tigers to build a 31-12 lead with 7:52 remaining in the first half. UWM responded, though, fighting back to within 10 points on three occasions before heading into the locker room down 40-28.

The Panthers then had the better of the play over the first eight minutes of the second half, eventually pulling within 42-34 on an Avery Smith driving layin with 14:32 left. But the Panthers could not get any closer, failing to score on their next two possessions before back-to-back three-point baskets by Carney made it 47-34 with 11:38 left.

From there, the game got away from the Panthers, as Memphis led by as many as 29 points in the closing minutes.

Boo Davis added nine points and Smith seven for UWM, which made 26-of-34 from the foul line but just 12-of-54 from the field.

The Panthers return to action Monday night, facing off with Upper Iowa at the U.S. Cellular Arena. The game tips off at 7 p.m.