Spring Break
Evans, Memphis too much for Drexel
Brett Fischer
Issue date: 1/9/09 Section: Sports
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The men's basketball team (2-6) lost to No. 21 Memphis (12-10) 87-49 Dec. 22 at the Fed Ex Forum in Memphis, Tenn.
Drexel guard Tramayne Hawthorne had a career-high 26 points, but it wasn't nearly enough to keep up with one of the best teams in the country.
Five players scored in double digits for Memphis (7-3), as Tyreke Evans led the way with 20. Shawn Taggart was an unstoppable force on the defensive end as he had seven blocks and seven boards in 21 minutes.
It didn't help that the Dragons were without their head coach.
Flint was suspended for one game by the CAA after getting two technical fouls in the Bucknell game and was unable to coach against Memphis. Associate Head Coach Mike Connors filled the void.
"You're talking about one of the best coaches in the conference," Connors said. "The kids respond to him, he sets up a great game plan and it was a travesty he wasn't there."
The Dragons lost their previous four games in the final minute of regulation, but were oversized and overmatched against Memphis early on in the game.
Drexel had a chance to take one-point lead with 13:50 left in the first half, but Gerald Colds got blocked on a 3-point shot attempt.
Following that possession, the Tigers went on a 14-0 run and Drexel never got within single digits.
Again, the Dragons struggled from the field shooting only 28.1 percent and just 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.
The Dragons were competitive on the boards, but were still outrebounded 42-39.
The last time Drexel played Memphis was in 1996 when the Dragons upset the Tigers 75-63 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Flint was John Calipari's assistant for seven seasons at UMass before Flint took over in 1996. Calipari has been the Memphis head coach since the 2001 season.
He wasn't happy Flint was unable to coach against him, but he had an optimistic point of view.
"Last night I was really disappointed, but then I thought about it," Calipari said. "Fate has been a part of my life so many different times. He [Flint] didn't lose and I didn't lose. We both won."
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