National Basketball Association
Saint Louis 61, Memphis 54
When: 6:50 PM ET, Friday, March 16, 2012
Where: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Officials:
# Pat Evans, # Mike Eades, # Ted Valentine
Attendance:
17464
By SportsDirect Inc.
Saint Louis 61, Memphis 54: Kwamain Mitchell scored eight of his 22 points during a decisive 14-2 run in the second half to propel the Billikens past the Tigers in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Ninth-seeded Saint Louis (26-7), which had not won an NCAA game since 1998, will meet No. 1 seed Michigan State in Sunday's third round of the West Regional.
Facing a 42-38 deficit with 7:28 to go, Saint Louis went ahead for good when Mitchell scored five straight points, including a 3-pointer with 6:24 left.
The eighth-seeded Tigers (26-9) were still within one, 45-44, before Mitchell added another basket from well beyond the arc with the shot clock expiring at the 4:52 mark.
Saint Louis committed 17 turnovers but made up for it with a superior defensive effort, holding Memphis 21 points below its season average. The Tigers shot 38.9 percent from the field and made 2 of 15 3-point attempts.
Brian Conklin added 16 points for the Billikens, including 10 of 11 free throws. Will Barton led Memphis with 16 points.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The last time Saint Louis won an NCAA tournament game, coach Rick Majerus was on the Utah sideline, leading the Utes to a spot in the 1998 national championship game. ... Memphis had won seven straight games. ... The Billikens are 5-1 on neutral courts this season.
Top Game Performances
Saint Louis |
|
Memphis |
Kwamain Mitchell 22 |
Scoring |
Will Barton 16 |
Mike McCall 4 |
Assists |
Joe Jackson 4 |
Dwayne Evans 11 |
Rebounds |
Ferrakohn Hall 6 |
Brian Conklin 10 |
Free Throws Made |
Ferrakohn Hall 3 |
Kwamain Mitchell 2 |
Steals |
Chris Crawford 3 |
Brian Conklin 1 |
Blocks |
Tarik Black 2 |
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
Saint Louis
|
61 |
45.7 |
5-13 |
14-18 |
7 |
31 |
1 |
6 |
17 |
Memphis
|
54 |
38.9 |
2-15 |
10-17 |
4 |
26 |
3 |
8 |
11 |