Conference USA gear
Conference USA sports

C-USA Sports Fans

CUSA Fans Home

Conference USA Apparel

Columnists

Site Map

Contact

Conference USA football
Conference USA basketball
Conference USA baseball
Conference USA picks
Conference USA team shop
Conference USA fan sites

Conference USA Tournament - Semifinal Recap

 

 

(6) Marshall 73 (2) Southern Mississippi 62

The Marshall Thundering Herd struggled in the Conference USA regular season. They've excelled in the Conference USA Tournament and are now one win away from punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament.

Coach Tom Herrion has led an uprising this week in Memphis, Tennessee. Marshall finished sixth in C-USA during the season, absorbing seven losses in the conference, but the Herd have flourished in the crucible of knockout tournament pressure. Marshall eased past SMU in round one of this four-day C-USA hoops festival, and it then passed a supreme test of endurance and willpower in the quarterfinals by outlasting Tulsa in three overtimes. Following that exhausting battle which exceeded three hours in length, Marshall then had to turn around in less than 24 hours and play its semifinal game against a Southern Mississippi ballclub that played the early quarterfinal on Thursday and was therefore comparatively fresher. The setup favored Southern Mississippi, but as the Golden Eagles quickly learned, Marshall is playing above and beyond its reputation and resources this week. It's one of those inspired Conference USA tournament runs that the league has seen a lot of in recent years.

Two years ago, Houston came from nowhere to win the tournament in the final season for head coach Tom Penders. Last year, Memphis was an NIT team until it won the league tournament in El Paso, stunning UTEP in the championship game. Marshall now wants to make that same kind of run, and after three wins in Memphis, it has just one game left to go.

Marshall was vastly superior to Southern Miss, a team which will likely make the NCAA Tournament despite this loss and a very poor finish to its Conference USA season. Southern Miss has been average over the past month, playing .500 ball and looking nothing like the squad that won 21 of its first 24 games this season. Marshall hit six more free throws and five more three-pointers than USM. Marshall hit 54 percent of its 46 shots while Southern Miss hit only 34 percent of its 73 field goal attempts. In other words, both teams hit 25 shots, making Marshall's advantages at the foul line and behind the arc the difference makers in this contest. Marshall will play Memphis in the C-USA final.

 


(1) Memphis 83 (4) Central Florida 52

The Memphis Tigers are playing like a team that could be a dangerous No. 6 or 7 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. They are also in position to make bubble teams very happy.

Memphis crushed the Central Florida Golden Knights to reach the C-USA Tournament final. Memphis will play a Marshall squad that is trying to pluck an unexpected NCAA Tournament berth. Given the way the Tigers are playing on their home floor at FedEx Forum, their prospects of denying Marshall look pretty good.

This was a comprehensive win for Memphis. The Tigers limited UCF to 33 percent shooting and a 2-of-19 performance from three-point range. Memphis forced 14 turnovers, racking up seven steals to get easy baskets in transition. Memphis's 17 assists revealed a team playing in perfect rhythm and harmony, sharing the ball to easily outmaneuver Central Florida's overmatched defense.

Check out the selection of CUSA apparel & merchandise in the CUSA Fans Team Fan Shop!


By Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer

 

 

 

       
C-USA Football | C-USA Basketball | C-USA Baseball | C-USA Tickets | C-USA Message Boards | C-USA & Sports Fan Sites | CUSA Fans Home